The swan Princess
by demiileaglee
Summary: Emma Swan is an only child, kidnap by the evil queen at birth. what would happened when Emma comes to age? destine to be curse for life. A gorgeous White swan in the dark kingdom lands. SwanQueen AU
1. Birth, Chapter 1

The Light Kingdom was considered the richest, truest kingdom in the all the realms. They were finally in prosperity, yet they lived in constant fear.

They feared an attack from the Dark Kingdom, from the Evil Queen.

The kingdom found itself full of joy for the Queen was to give birth soon. King James and Queen Snow White couldn't wait to welcome their prince or princess into their world.

A child, the child product of their true love.

Snow was on her eighth month and she was glowing. She always wondered what her stepmother would think? The Evil Queen, the woman everyone feared but Snow White had grown to love. It did not matter, what she had tried to do to Snow White, she loved her as if she were her mother. Regina had raised her and nobody could change that. No even Regina herself.

Regina had been quiet through her entire pregnancy. Not a single threat had come to the Light Kingdom while the King and Queen expected their child.

King James was very hard on their guards after the Queen's announcement at their wedding. She vowed to destroy their happiness and he vowed she would not have the pleasure.

And yet Queen Snow wasn't worried about the child's safety for she knew her child would be special. A savior, she thought. A hero just like her parents.

The night of the child's birth came rapidly. King James paced the hall of the room he shared with his wife, waiting to hear the baby's cries, but all he heard were his wife's cries of pain. He wished he could be with her, but he had to keep watch. They were both in danger and he would defend them.

Snow White's cries were so powerful, the entire kingdom heard them. The townspeople celebrated the birth of the child, but not a soul was as rejoiced as the Evil Queen's. Regina could hear her stepdaughter, too. She was watching everything from her mirror. Every push, every scream, every tear Snow shed.

"That baby will bring you nothing but problems, Your Majesty." Her mirror said. Regina has heard it say the same phrase over and over for all of eight months.

"Did I ask for your opinion in this matter, mirror? Or should I just make you stop talking once and for all? Mirrors are easily cracked, no?" Regina asked looking at the man she had trapped inside the mirror with her sarcastic, trademark smile.

"No, Your Majesty." He said, bowing his head as much as his space would allow. Rolling her eyes at his pathetic self, she walked to her bedchambers, for there was a royal being born and the mother could not stop her whining. She looked at herself in one of her mirrors and was pleased.

As regal as always.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall…show me the woman I want to kill most of all." The Evil Queen drawled and the first thing she heard was a child's cry. And then she saw the midwife, wrapping the shrieking thing in blankets.

Regina's full, red lips curved into a smile as the image before her disappeared.

"It's time," The Queen said before she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

King James heard the baby's cries and ran into the room. He was finally a father.

His eyes took in the image of his wife holding their child, an image he would never forget.

"Hey there," He whispered, approaching them.

"It's a girl." Snow White whispered, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "We have our Emma." She continued. He took her lips in a kiss before looking down at the perfect wife passed the child onto her father. He couldn't believe it; hewas holding Emma for the very first time.

The Kings eyes stung with tears of joy as the little one opened her eyes. He looked at his wife and then back at the child.

"She is beautiful, Snow. She is just like you." He couldn't look away he was hypnotized by the beauty of his baby, his Emma. They both sat there, staring at their child so much so they barely heard the Queen's cruel laugh.

It was the woman neither of them wanted to see. The Queen was as glorious as a fallen angel with those cruel eyes and her dark cloaking.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my lucky day. The child has finally been born." With a flick of her wrist The Queen made the child disappear from her father's arms and on her own. Snow gasped and tried to stand, but it was useless. She was still delicate and had not yet been treated.

"Please, Regina. I am begging you," Queen Snow said breathless with fear. "Do not harm Emma." The King stood and took out his sword, aiming it at the Evil Queen.

"Oh no, dear. I mean no harm to this beautiful princess of yours." The Evil Queen said, looking at the baby in her arms. She was stunned by the connection she felt run through her, but she kept her expression as cold as it normally was. The child's eyes were like emeralds, green and bright.

The Evil Queen kissed the princess' forehead sweetly, before making her vanish again, leaving only a purple mist behind.

"What did you do?" Yelled the King at the same time that the bedridden Queen screamed "No!"

The Evil Queen grinned as she watched Snow White burst into tears and James get close enough to her that his blade was to her neck.

"Where have you sent our daughter, evil witch! What have you done?" James screamed, the blade shaking with his fury. Regina lifted her chin and looked down at him, not at all fazed by the sword threatening to break her skin.

If she died, they would never get the princess back.

"Somewhere horrible, a place where there are no happy endings." The sorceress said. The her eyes shifted to Snow White. "Oh, poor Snow." She whispered as the other woman sobbed uncontrollably.

The Evil Queen laughed and pushing away the sword, got closer to the sobbing Queen.

"You shall never set eyes upon your princess again. You shall always feel this pain, the pain of losing your precious little daughter." With those words and a rough, cruel laugh, the Evil Queen disappeared leaving nothing but her cloud of smoke and two broken hearts.


	2. Chapter 2

The queen appeared in her bedchambers and she walked to her bed. Before she looked, she felt the presence of Snow White's firstborn child.

"Hey there little girl" The Queen may have done a lot of evil, but ruining a little girl's life because of her mother's mistake wasn't on her plans.

Emma only moved her chubby arms and kicked her legs around while looking directly at Regina, never leaving her deep brown eyes. "How about you stay here with me?" The baby only looked at her while her eyes closed slightly. "At least until I can send you to the land with no happy endings safely...but I'll make sure you are alright. You will be protected, I promise little Emma." Regina took the baby in her arms. Emma cuddled closer to the Queen's chest and fell asleep. Regina heart threatened to melt with the sudden contact, beginning to doubt herself. Should she send the beautiful baby to a place where there are no happy endings?

Minutes and hours passed and she sat on her bed and watched the baby sleep peacefully in her arms while she planned what her next move would be. She couldn't keep Emma as much as she intended to form the moment her eyes had seen baby with skin as white as snow.

"GUARDS!" Regina called still holding the baby close to her chest.

"Yes, your Majesty." The guard entered the room bowing to the queen.

"Go find my huntsman." The queen never took her eyes of her pretty little Emma. "I wonder..." she whispered to herself.

The huntsman was the man without a heart. A pet for the queen. He roamed the castle, moments later, looking for Her Majesty. The Queen was nowhere to be found even though she had called for him. He walked to her bed chamber, but the she wasn't there. As he intended to leave, he heard a sweet cry come from the bed. He walked closer to get a closer look and his eyes widened. A baby girl.

Her bright green eyes stood out against her pale skin. She was small, no doubt newly born, but her arms and legs were chubby and moving around. She was crying so loudly, he couldn't help, but take the baby in his arms.

"Why are you here little one? This is no place for a beautiful childlike yourself." He whispered tenderly. Emma looked at him with wide, tear-shedding eyes, her sobs subsiding. The huntsman looked at the baby for a while and looked around. He had a thought. "Let's go home, little girl."

The huntsman took Emma with him. Not aware than the queen was watching the scene right before her eyes. "Goodbye, beautiful swan." Regina said silently with a tear rolling down her cheek.

The huntsman was full of joy. He had a sleeping baby girl was in his arms, while he rode his horse to the cabin, where his dear friend awaited.

"Red! Red! Where are you, darling?" The huntsman happily called for his Red riding hood.

"Hey! What is all this commotion about?" Red walked as fast as she could. She had not yet seen her, but she smelled her. A baby.

The huntsman was awaiting for Red to come outside and when she did, he happily showed her the baby.

"Isn't she an angel?" The baby's scent hit Red like a thousand brick. She smelled just like Snow White, but there was something else there, not quite so familiar. Red looked at the sleeping baby and felt her heart melt.

"She is in fact an angel, but why is she here?" Red asked never taking her eyes off the pale skinned baby. "She's ours now, I found her in the Queen's bedchambers. God knows what would had happened if I didn't take the little angel with me." Red couldn't believe her ears. Red was helplessly in love with the huntsman. He didn't have a heart and only saw her as his dear friend, just as it had been when h=they met. Listening to him saying that the baby was theirs was like a dream come true for her.

"She is beautiful, pale skin and big green eyes. She has a swan's beauty." Red said as the huntsman handed her new daughter to her.

"That's it Red! Her name is Swan! Our Swan." He looked at Red with tenderness.

"Swan," Red says out loud carrying the baby inside. The huntsman followed closely behind, his daughter in her new mother arms. Red started to inspect the baby until she noticed something. There was a name in the baby's blanket, a name embroidered in a deep purple color.

"Emma."Red whispered. "Her name is Emma. Emma Swan, our new pup." The huntsman hugged Red tightly, chuckling. The he kissed Emma's head.

"Now we are a family" Red melted at his words, wishing with all of her heart that could really be true.

In the Dark Kingdom, the Evil Queen watched the heartwarming scene from her mirror. Regina was overjoyed that Emma would have a loving mother, but she was also in pain because she would be nothing to the child. She could not get close to beautiful little Emma.

I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to be happy, the Queen thought to herself. All she did now was roam her lonely castle. The dark halls were becoming overwhelming for the first time in her life. She walked with no direction. That is until she stumbled upon her huntsman.

"It's a nice day, isn't it, Your Majesty?" The huntsman asked, cheer clear in his tone. The Queen had never seen him so happy. She stopped wondering why she wanted to keep Emma. It was clear the child with just a look at those green eyes gave hope and joy. The Queen became very fond of the baby in just hours and the Evil Queen's heart was not easily won.

"Indeed. But you look extremely overjoyed huntsman." Regina looked at the horizon.

"I am, Your Majesty. I found myself a beautiful pup and I shall raise her with Red." The huntsman was all smiles for the Queen, something she was not used to.

Perhaps Emma is in good hands, Regina thought to herself.

"Oh, I was unaware you two were in a romantic situation…Perhaps I shall give your heart back." The Queen wanted Emma to have all the love she deserved and a man with no heart could not love.

"My Queen, that would be a great honor. Have I earned your trust enough for Your Highness to return my heart?" The huntsman clearly could not believe his ears. The Queen, returning his heart. He would be able to love Emma and Red as they both deserved.

"I shall give it to you, but on one condition. You shall stay at the palace for the rest of your miserable life. Remember you are my pet, my property. Do we have a deal, pet?" The Queen looked at the huntsman waiting for an answer. The huntsman thought about it and with a nod, he agreed. The Queen with just a flick of her wrist returned his heart to his rightful owner.

"Now run off, I dislike your presence." The Queen said and he, bowing gratefully obeyed. The huntsman had never been happier than he had been that day. He had everything. A companion, a daughter and his heart.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Innocence

Years passed in the blink of an eye. The Evil Queen watched Snow White's suffering. She hadn't her daughter and she had no idea her best friend was raising her.

The Queen occasionally paid baby Emma visits; when Red and the huntsman, who were now married, slept soundly. One night, the night of Emma's first birthday, Regina took the baby to her castle. She observed how different Emma, how time had changed her. She was still chubby, pale and the big green eyes were the same, but now she had grown her blonde hair and she had grown more teeth. The Evil Queen thought little Emma was just adorable.

"Aren't you a cute little Swan, princess?" The girl clapped every time the Queen talked, which made her chuckle. Baby Emma looked at Regina with wide eyes and that adorable smile only a child could have. Regina watched her, the way she behaved and smiled just for her and couldn't help but smile back and touch her little nose. Emma giggled loudly, holding her own nose with her chubby little hands, hiding it from the Queen's sight. Regina carried the blonde one-year-old girl to her bed and laid Emma there.

"I don't want to be lonely tonight." She told the girl. Emma smiled at her moving her chubby feet around. "Aren't you just a little bundle of joy?" Emma's giggles melted the Queen's heart. She adored the blonde, how she acted, how Emma was the only one that really knew who Regina really was.

"Little ducky." Regina whispered. "You shall be my little ducky." Regina rub Emma's belly knowing that it would make her sleepy. After watching little Emma sleep, she reluctantly took the girl in her arms and they both disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Regina appeared in the huntsman's cabin once again. The silence let her know couple still slept peacefully as she made her way to their room. She looked down at her chest where her little ducky was sleeping against her chest. Regina's heart squeezed painfully as she realized she had to leave her here.

"I'll be back soon, ducky. I promise." She whispered, placing the baby next to her mother's arms. "Goodbye for now, Miss Swan." Regina kissed the girl's forehead as she did back the day the child was born. Then, the Queen disappeared without another word.

That was the last time she had been close to Emma. It had been twelve years since then. Emma Swan was now thirteen years old and even though the Evil Queen did not talk to her, she watched her from the distance. Little Emma looked just like Snow White when she had been a child.

As much as Regina hated what Snow had done, Emma had become her world.

The Queen rose in the morning and prepared herself; it was just another day to roam her castle. The dark halls were lonely and again overwhelming. Before Emma, the halls were just halls. Now the halls are like a prison cell, like they were closing in on her. Why did she feel so strongly for this child?

The Queen signed petitions and went about her day, finally deciding to visit her garden. She heard the contrast of giggling and rough laughter. As she turned over the corner to get to the garden, she saw a little girl hiding behind her apple tree. She giggled so hard her blond locks shook.

"I'm going to find you, Goldie." The voice the rough laughter belonged to said. Regina knew it was one of her guards playing around with the girl. Regina didn't remember his name, but her attention was not on him. It was on the little girl's whose giggles rang in her head. Her golden hair flowing in the wild while she tried to keep her giggles at bay. The guard was looking around for the little girl and stopped as he heard her giggles.

"Oh, where could my Goldie Locks be? How did I ever lose her?" The guard said with fake sadness and blonde girl stop hiding and ran towards him, hugging him tightly.

"Uncle August, you have not lost me, silly!" she giggled in the young man's arms. Now the Queen knew who he was. The once wooden boy, Pinoccio.

"Oh Goldie Locks, I missed you." He said, spinning the little blond girl around until the huntsman appeared behind them.

"Emma." The huntsman said in a rather angry voice. The Queen's body stiffened. She hadn't gotten a good look at the girl, but now her suspicions were clear. That was Emma.

She had grown up so fast, she was not her little ducky anymore. Regina couldn't be more proud of the beautiful girl she had become. Occasionally seeing her once in a while for more than ten years was not enough to know her well, but she couldn't help but enjoy every second, every year observing her.

"Yes, Daddy?" Emma asked as the man she called uncle put her down. She stood behind his armored legs.

"Your mother has been looking for you, Emma Swan. Why are you at Papa's job? You know it's not safe to be here." The huntsman said, offering his hand for his little girl to take. It was clear to Regina he adored Emma, but what he told her bothered her greatly. You know it's not safe to be here…

Regina decided to keep walking, knowing they would see her.

"Since when are my gardens a children's playground?" Regina asked without looking at her not-so-little ducky.

"Your Majesty, I'm so sorry my daughter followed me to work this morning and I just noticed her. I beg for your forgiveness." Both the guard and the huntsman bowed to the Queen, but Emma did not.

Regina got closer to her, her eyes narrowing at the girl.

"You are Goldie Locks? Nice name, Miss Swan." Emma nodded, a small smile on her face.

The girl felt connection to this woman, she was not afraid. As Queen spoke to her father and her uncle she had paid no mind to what they said. Her gaze and her attention was fixed on the woman with the dark, skin tight clothing and the darkened eyes.

"I am. You must be the Queen." Emma said in that childlike voice Regina had heard minutes ago.

The Queen looked at Emma like she was an insect, like she didn't mean anything to the strange but beautiful dark woman. Emma's eyes stung with tears as Regina's turned cruel. Regina could see the watery green eyes and she took pity on the girl when a tear rolled down the blonds girls cheek.

The Evil Queen's heart threaten to soften further for the girl, her cruel façade was sure to fail looking into those green eyes.

Emma moved over to her father and hid behind him feeling ashamed, no doubt.

"We are sorry, Your Majesty. My pretty Swan does not know who you are very well. Please accept my apologies for her behavior." Emma's shoulder shook behind her father and the Queen's chin rose, fighting the urge to console her.

The guard the girl called August looked at the Queen and moved towards Emma.

"Come on, Goldie locks. Don't cry…you are breaking your uncle's heart." Regina could not fight how she felt about the girl and she also approached her.

"Huntsman, guard, go train the new solders. Emma will be spending the afternoon with me." The Evil Queen said, looking at the girl.

Emma looked up at the Queen and then at her father.

"Your Majesty, she isn't—" The Queen's eyes were enough to silence the girl's father.

"She is old enough to choose what she wants. Would you like to come with me, girl?" Emma looked from her father's frightened eyes to the Queen's and nodded.

"You shall take her when you have completed your duties for the day, huntsman. As for you, guard," The woman said, looking at Emma's uncle. "do not let me find you playing with Emma or any other child on my grounds. You are a guard, a servant. As as one you shall behave." Both men nodded and bowed. The huntsman kissed his little girl's head and told her to be good before following the guard.

"Come." Regina ordered and began to walk. The girl followed closely behind and a smell overwhelmed her senses.

"You smell like apples, Regina." Emma said, her voice followed by a ghost of a laugh.

She knows my name, Regina thought to herself taking the girl to her bedchambers.

"It's Your Majesty. And how do you know my name?" The Queen asked as they entered her room. The girl wasted no time and sat on the bed, taking Regina by surprise. That was the exact same spot where she had been when she was just an infant.

"Why didn't you visit me again? Why did you never come back?" Emma asked settling further on the Queen's bed. The Evil Queen couldn't believe it. She remembered. It had happened twelve years ago, but she remembered.

"I have far more important things to do than see a child, dear." The Queen said, avoiding the girl's receptive eyes and sitting on her desk. Her back was to the child, but she still saw her through her mirror.

"You called me ducky, didn't you? Your little ducky." Emma asked. The Queen sat still.

Regina looked at the innocence in those big, greens eyes. Emma looked at her through the mirror and for the first time in a long time, the Queen felt like she was bare. Like Emma could see right through her.

"No. Perhaps it was all a dream?" The Queen said sarcastically. Emma shook her head and threw her body back, so her entire body laid on the bed completely.

"Yes, I mean no. I mean, I dream about you, but I know they are memories. It would be weird to dream of someone you've never met and then meeting them in real life, wouldn't it? I has to be a memory. Plus I've always remembered those words. 'My little ducky.'"

The Queen left her seat and walked so she stood over the girl laying on her bed. She looked rather tired, as if she were just about to fall into sleep. Regina waved her hand over the girl, purple mist indicating the spell was working.

She couldn't have her asking so many questions, so a little nap would do.

"Don't forget your ducky, Regina. Will you forget me again?" Emma whispered before her eyes fell shut and she fell into peaceful sleep. The Queen put her hand over the girl's and watched her take deep, even breaths.

"Never, Miss Swan."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Motherhood**

Red had never felt such worry in her entire life. She ran and ran looking for her Swan, her Goldie Locks. She tried getting to her by her smell, but nothing. She was getting extremely worried. In wolf form, she ran around looking for any possible clues that would led her to her daughter. She had a surprise for her Goldie. Her daughter was one of the most precious things to her. She had united her and her husband, Graham, who she loved dearly.

She remembered that day like it was just yesterday…

After the huntsman came back from the castle she had settled the precious little girl in the bed she shared with Graham. He had burst through the door with a wide smile.

"Oh gods, you need to stop—" Red could not finish because the man she loved took her face in his hands and kissed her with such raw passion, her knees became weak.

"I have wanted to do that for a long time." He said before kissing her again, this time with more tenderness. As air became necessary for them both, they pulled away and looked at into other's eyes. Red saw love and passion, the same look she had been giving him for years.

"Red, my Red I have my heart back. We can now get married and give Swan a family." The huntsman kisses Red's hands. "I love you, my precious ruby." He whispered.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, with my being a wolf and all…" He kissed her to silence her again and chuckled.

"There is nothing my heart longs for than for you to be my wife, wolf." Red laughed and nodded, tears of happiness running down her cheeks as she held his face as he did hers.

After the wedding, Red had Emma stay with her friend Belle from the Light Kingdom. Belle had Emma for a month. Emma was almost a year old by then. Belle spoiled the little girl, letting her play with everything she could touch. It was on one of those days when Emma had met who she now called her uncle. The young man walked into Belle's book store, eager to see the woman he admired from afar, Belle.

But Belle was not the one who greeted him, it was a little girl with golden hair and the greenest eyes he had ever seen. She only looked at him for a moment before going back to the snow bells she held.

"Hello, little one." Emma looked up smiling and waved at him.

"What's your name, blondie?" He asked with a chuckle. She was just so cute.

Emma looked down, distracted by the flowers. The boy bent down to make her look into is eyes.

"You won't say your name, so I will name you Goldie Locks." Emma giggled at him and held up one of the beaten flowers. "Aren't you just a little princess?" He asked, offering his arms to carry her.

The baby giggled loudly as the boy spun her around. Belle that had run off to the store's pantry and was surprised to see Emma's in the arms of a stranger. Well, a stranger to Emma, not so much for her. She had seen the young man around.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a bother." The boy said, putting the little girl down where she had been. Emma giggled again with one flower in her small hand and another holding onto the boy so he was bending at a weird angle.

"Oh no worries Emma's has a gift for making people like her, don't you Swan?" Her accent was enough to make the boy dizzy. "But please, be careful. She is my friend's child and it was irresponsible of me to leave Emma alone." Emma looked at Belle at the mention of her name.

"I meant no harm, my lady." Belle couldn't help but smile at the boy's sweetness.

"Don't fret, I know." She said and then looked at Emma as she let go of the boy's shirt. "Well, her name is Emma Swan."

"Perhaps that name doesn't suit her like the one I just name her, my lady. I present to you, Princess Goldie Locks and of course, her loyal guard, Pinocchio." He bowed in front of Belle admiring the woman's laugh and unreal beauty.

From that first meeting, Pinocchio became very important in Emma's life. He had named her Goldie Locks and she had named him August because they always spent more time together when summer arrived.

It was as if destiny had tied their lives together, because August went into service as a guard for the Dark Kingdom, where he worked with Graham, Emma's father. This is how he came to be Emma's uncle; Graham and August were inseparable. August was hopelessly in love with Belle, which is why he had the best times when he and his Goldie got to see the beautiful woman.

Emma's first Birthday was a big celebration for Red. It was to take place in their home, but it was very important and she couldn't wait to see her baby. She quickly cleaned up and was making her way out of castle she worked in. The Light Kingdom, ruled by King James and Queen Snow White.

She knew Belle and her baby were on their way up, too and she couldn't be wondered if her daughter would like her birthday present, when Belle appeared with Emma in her arms.

"Red!" Belle's call could be heard in the royal bedchambers.

Queen Snow stood up from her bed, something that she rarely did after her baby girl was taken away from her. Snow saw Belle, her library supervisor and the owner of the book store in the village.

"Hey!" Belle smiled at Red, and so did the Emma. Little Emma began to giggle and put her arms out for her mother would take her. Snow peeked from her bedchamber's door. That baby was very fond of Red, she wished she could see her face. She looked about as old as her own child would be.

"Swan, did you cause a lot of trouble?" Red hugged her baby girl close to her chest and Emma giggled kissing her mom's cheeks.

"Goldie Locks, who is she?" Belle asked Emma. This was a very common game for them to play. Emma grinned, pointing at Red.

"MAMA!" The little Swan said with excitement and started to howl just she knew her mother did. Belle and Red looked at each other and laughed. Reds heart swelled with pride.

She was a mother.

She kissed her baby girl and hugged her to her chest.

Snow could not believe what she was watching. Red had been pregnant before her wedding? Is the huntsman the real father? She needed to know all of this for Red had been her friend. How could she not know?

Before she made the decision to speak up, Red looked at her. Of course she had smelled her.

"Snow, I know you're there. Come out and meet my daughter." Snow did as told and when she laid her eyes on the beautiful green eyed baby. Her chest hurt as if her heart were being crushed inside her.

"Your…your daughter?" Snow asked, her throat tightening, needing to know. That baby has David's hair color and the same color of her eyes, thought Snow. She looked nothing like Red.

"Yes, this my little Swan. Belle and her Uncle called her Goldie Locks. But you can call her what pleases you." Red said proudly showing off her child.

"Can I ... I ... Carry her?" Snow whispered, feeling her heart break further.

"Absolutely, Your Majesty." Red said softly, handing over the quiet, curious girl. She saw the pain Snow was feeling and she couldn't imagine how much it would hurt, but she wasn't giving up her child either.

Red knew that Emma was Snow's daughter. She knew they had the same smell, but Emma was different. She had the smell of magic, she had been marked since birth. Red didn't mind that Emma was born with magic. If her daughter was to be a sorceress, that was fine with her; Emma was her daughter hers only. She saw Snow suffering everyday but she was not ready to give her happy ending to Snow White. At first Red thought about giving the Princess to her former family but all it took was a smile from that Swan to melt her mama's heart.

Emma had won over Snow too, Red noticed. How could she not?

Snow took Emma in her arms and smiled at her, but Emma's face contorted and she began to cry. Emma called for her mama, moving away from Snow arms to land on Belle's.

"Goldie! Was wrong?" Belle asked, surprised by the sudden change in behavior of the baby.

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. I'm her babysitter and she…she has never acted like this with anyone."

Red didn't say anything, she felt proud of her baby for staying with her, for picking her. Red gave Snow a sad smile.

"We must go. Swan turns one today and we have to wait for her father at home." Red kissed Snow's cheek and took her hood off, transforming into the wolf. Belle placed the baby in the hairy back of the mama wolf and Emma held on.

"I will see you for your celebration, Swan. Goodbye, now." Belle shouted as they both disappeared in the distance.

Snow watched them disappear, standing beside Belle. She watched and it was as if her soul were leaving her body. She didn't understand why she felt such dread for she did not know she had just seen her daughter and had not recognized her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Swan**

Emma woke up next to a warm, soft body. She furrowed deeper into the warmth, ejoying the delicious smell, her favorite smell.

Apples.

She sighed as her arm snaked around the small waist and her head rested against the other woman's chest.

"Gina," Whispered Emma hugging the Evil Queen closer to her, but the woman did not react. She moved away, slightly, not wanting to be touched by Emma.

She was indifferent to the girl, cold.

Emma didn't mind her hostility and held onto her. She wanted the queen to talk to her, to tell her something. She didn't quite understand the Queen's behavior. She wanted Regina, the woman that appeared in her dreams. The young, raven haired woman she so constantly shared a bed with. Where the Queen was bare of clothes and bare of the coloring that made her eyes look cruel.

Emma pressed her lips to the woman's chest, right above her heart and yet, she had no response.

"Regina, please." Emma said in a broken whisper. She wanted to cry desperately, but instead she got out of the bed and ran, her surroundings changing suddenly. Like magic. She ran through the woods, seeking something. What? She did not know.

And yet she heard the Queen's voice tell her "Love is weakness," over and over like a prayer…or a curse.

She felt a rush run through her veins, like ice cold water. It was then that her anger became sadness and her feet became weak. She could run no more.

"Love is weakness, my little ducky. Love is weakness." She heard as her lungs burned inside her and she fell to her knees. "Goodbye." Whispered her Queen's voice.

Emma woke with a start, clutching her chest and gasping for air.

"Mama?" She called, wishing her mama were home so she could hug her and reassure her, but she knew better. Her mama and papa were away, working for their daily bread.

She wiped the tears off her face and got up. She knew going out while her parents were not home was forbidden, but she needed to see her friend. And she would not get caught; she knew they were always back just after noon and before sundown.

Emma dressed and took a piece of bread, which she ate as she made her way to the closest village. The memories of the dream came back to her as she walked deeper into the woods. The warmth, apples, the rejection…the Evil Queen's voice…tears stung in her eyes and she began to run.

Surely her friend would make her feel better.

"Goldie! I was just about to go see you." Lilith, her best friend said, the smile on her face falling as she took in Emma's expression.

Lilith was the daughter of Maleficent, another well-known villain around here, but Emma and her had been friends for a long time. No matter what, they were always there for each other. It was almost as if they had had a connection since before birth. Lilith was dark where Emma was light; Their hair, their eyes, their complexion…even their thoughts. There had always been something about darkness that intrigued Emma. She wondered why that was and always came up with one thought: the Evil Queen. The one thought she pushed away as hard as she could.

Emma hugged her friend with such force, the other girl stumbled backwards.

"Lilith, promise to never leave me, okay? I care about you so much….You're part of my family." Emma said, making Lilith return the embrace just as fiercely.

"Come on you, Gold. You know we are in this together, " Lilith said, pulling away and smiling reassuringly. "Whatever this is." She said gesturing to their surroundings. Emma used her hands to dry her tears and smiled as her friend bumped her fist against.

"Thank you….I've just been having these really weird dreams," Emma said, looking into Lilith's dark eyes. The other girl's eyebrows furrowed. "I'll tell you another time…right now I just need to forget." Lilith nodded and then smiled. Emma knew that smile well; it meant trouble.

"Shall we go to the Outsider's Village? They said a sorcerer is there. Magic, Goldie. You can finally see magic up close." Lilith was raised around magic, having a mother like hers. She herself had some magic of her own. Magic her mother didn't allow her to use yet as she had not become of age.

Emma had always admired the quality, but she never wished it upon herself.

"I don't know, Lilith…Mama and Papa forbade me to go over there. That village is full of evil sorcerers…Papa says the most terrible Dark One lives there too." Emma said matter-of-factly.

"Oh come on, you! Don't tell me the brave knight Swan is afraid," Lilith teased Emma, bumping her shoulder with the other girl's. Emma rolled her eyes, trying not to smile.

"I'm not afraid!" Lilith laughed, earning Emma's death glare. This only made the raven haired girl laugh harder.

"Come on, you ugly duckling." Lilith taunted, bumping Emma's shoulder again. Emma glared with real anger now.

"Don't call me that." She warned Lilith, who shrugged.

"And what do you suppose you will do about it, huh? Emma Swan, the ugly duckling." Lilith noticed Emma's face redden with anger and just as she expected, Emma went to attack her.

Lilith laughed, running in the direction to the Outsider's Village. Emma ran after the other girl, her mind on getting to her and not on Lilith's true intentions.

Lilith disappeared in cloud of smoke with a chuckle. Emma stopped running and cursed the girl. As much as Maleficent had put strict rules on Lilith's magic, she still used it once in a while.

It was then that Emma realized where she was: just outside of the forbidden village. She cursed again before taking a breath and walking inside. She knew Lilith would not come out unless she was found. She looked down at herself and her white dress and blue hood were ruined from all of the running through the woods.

Oh, gods no. Mama will kill me, she thought to herself, uselessly patting the dirt. It did not come off.

She had to get home before her mama and papa and have them cleaned. She would be in so much trouble if they knew where she was…

Emma walked around the village looking for Lilith. This place may have had a terrible name, but it sure was beautiful. Dark and mysterious. The place was full of magical creatures for sure.

Emma was so taken by the enchanted land that she did not see who she painfully bumped into.

"Oh, m'lady." The handsome young man, said, catching her shoulders. Emma looked up, humiliated.

"I must apologize," He shook his head, silencing her and smiled. He had very kind brown eyes and brown shaggy hair that almost covered them. His skin was darker than she was used to seeing around her village and he looked about her age.

"You are not from here, are you?" He asked, releasing her shoulders. Emma shook her head.

"Actually I'm quite lost." She admitted and noticed he had a wheelbarrow full of firewood. "I'm so sorry for interrupting your duties, but could you give me directions? Maybe show me around? I'm looking for a friend." Emma asked and looked down feeling herself blush with embarrassment.

"Oh, no worries, m'lady. I was just taking these to a few shops and cabins. You can either follow me or I shall help you find the way out of here. A gentleman would not let a lady walk alone in a land such as this. Bad things happen here at the Forbidden Village." He said, waiting for her to look at him. She did and found a reassuring smile rather than the judging scowl she expected.

"That's so very kind of you…I'm Emma, by the way, but everyone calls me Swan or Goldie Locks." Emma said, finding a little more confidence.

"Beautiful names, they suit you." He stated, taking in her face that she had no doubt was as dirty as her clothes. And her hair, gods…it had to be all over the place. It had gotten extremely long and curly throughout the years. "Oh, pardon me. My name is Baelfire." He said, bowing down to Emma, making Emma laugh.

"Nice to meet you, Baelfire." He smiled a boyish smile and picked up his wheelbarrow.

"Then you must follow me, m'lady. Let's find your friend." He said invitingly. They walked, shop to shop, cabin to cabin and still no Lilith. They talked about everything and anything and Emma felt happy. She had made another friend. This was more magical than any being or land she had ever encountered

Baelfire also enjoyed Emma's company; he was stricken by her. He had never seen a being that possessed such raw beauty. He knew that she was just a peasant girl, but he knew royal blood. He also knew about the missing child and most importantly, he had seen the Queen of the Light Kingdom. Snow White and this girl shared an uncanny resemblance, but it was not his place to investigate further and so he did not.

"M'lady, do not be alarmed, but I really must take these remaining logs to my cabin. You do not have to come in or anything if you don't wish to. It would be terrible to have your honor questioned…" Emma shrugged and smiled.

"It's okay. I just wish I could find Lilith…I really have to go home. My mama and papa will be furious." Baelfire's eyes saddened at the mention of Emma's parents and he nodded, and kept walking silently.

As they got close to his house they heard screaming. An earsplitting cry that frightened them both.

"Oh no," He said, releasing the wheelbarrow and looking at the alarmed girl. "Emma, run as fast as you can. Do not think, do not stop. Run!" Emma's eyes widened and she shook her hear,

"No, but I can't just leave you here. I won't," Emma argued and as another cry was heard.

Emma could feel the magic in the air. The raw, dark energy being released. Her heart was beating so hard she felt the pulse inside her skull.

With a curse and a deep breath, Baelfire grabbed her shoulder and began to run. She struggled to keep up and was frozen when she saw a figure a dark figure walking calmly towards them.

"Emma, please. Come on!" Baelfire yelled, but her body was buzzing. It was like ants were running up her arms and legs, except those ants felt like energy.

She didn't know what came over her and got herself in front of Baelfire and put her hands up. Her fingertips began to glow and she felt great power, something she had never felt before. She closed her eyes and her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated. On what? She did not know.

When she opened her eyes, the figure had disappeared. She looked at Baelfire, whose mouth gaped in shock.

He stared at her hands, as did she.

"Did I—Did I do that?" Emma whispered. Emma looked at Baelfire for an answer and he hugged her to his chest, instead. "What was that and what did I do? What do we do now?"

"Now we run" He said before pulling away and taking her hand. They both ran, on their way out of the village, but a dark cloud of smoke appeared before then and so did the figure they had seen before

Her papa had talked to her about this. _They say he wears dark, dirty robes. That you can only see a hint of his hair and his skin is green and gold._

"The Dark One," Emma gasped and tried to run, but with a flick of his wrist stop her.

"Ah, ah, ah! Oh, no dearie. Just where did you think you were going?" His voice was nothing like Emma expected. Instead of deep and grave, it was a sinister mix of high and haunting. He took his hood off and Emma tried hard to not be afraid.

 _He only takes his hood off when he wished pain upon another being, Emma. You must never go, you must never see him_

 _I am so sorry, Papa,_ Emma thought.

The Dark One had a sarcastic smile playing on his dark lips. His skin was a disgusting mix of green and gold, as were his eyes. His hair was dark and curled around his face.

"Where were you taking my son?" The demon asked the girl. Emma looked at Baelfire.

"Father, please let her go. She has nothing to do with this." Baelfire said worried about Emma's safety. From the Dark One came a high and chilling laugh.

"Oh no, my dear son. All magic comes with a price and I do believe she used magic against me, the Dark One. She has a price to pay and I will collect." The Dark One held up two fingers and gestured Emma closer. She magically appeared right in front of him. He smelled like dirt, straw and magic,

"Listen to me, Em-ma." He said, slowly pronouncing her name. "Your worst nightmare is about to begin." She took a deep breath and moved her head, looking away from his eyes. How did he know about her nightmares?

She waited to be sentenced, but instead he took a deep breath. He smelled her. Another laugh erupted from him and this one she felt in her bones.

"My, my, but isn't this the lost little princess." He whispered. Emma had no idea what he spoke of. She tried to conjure up more of that magic she had used before. "What shall I do to you, dearie?" He asked, with another laugh.

She looked at him and glared, deciding to be breave. He smirked and winked, his hands coming up in front of him comically.

"Aaahhh, yes, yes, yes! A swan! A beautiful Swan princess." He said, looking into her eyes. "Into a swan." The Dark One said, as if it were an order and with a flick of his wrist, Emma was engulfed in dark smoke.

She screamed out in pain as her magic delved inside her and her body painfully modified itself.

"No! No, Emma! Undo this!" Baelfire yelled, trying to help her, to fight his father, but it was too late. He could hear the screams of the girl that had enchanted his heart no more; there was just black clouds in front of him, which he could not reach into.

"Please, father!" Baelfire yelled loud enough that he was sure all the kingdoms heard it.

"What is done is done, Bae." Said the Dark One as the smoke faded. Emma was no longer there, well not as Baelfire knew her.

On the ground laid a beautiful swan with feathers as white and as pure as freshly fallen snow.

"Mark my words, princess." The Dark One said, bending on one knee, making sure the recovering swan would hear. The beautiful animal tried to stand, and its attention went to the Dark One. "If day light shall come, a white swan shall too. The only thing worthy of killing those wings will be the grace of the moon." He looked at the swan in the eyes. "This is what a real nightmare feels like, dearie and I'm afraid you…has just begun."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Missing

When Emma woke up, it was extremely dark out. She looked around her and saw only vegetation she knew were from the forest she had ran into before trespassing into Forbidden Village. Confused, she got up. She was suddenly dizzy, she also felt much taller than before. She looked down at herself and gasped.

It couldn't be.

She hadn't the hood and dress she had worn before. Now, there was a gown on her body. She was in awe for the dress was more than beautiful. It was made of feathers, white and golden feathers that stuck to her upper body and flared almost at her knees. Was this her body? It couldn't be either. She had not yet developed such womanly curves. She reached up with hands that looked more aged than hers and felt her hair. It was longer, she noticed. It reached below her breasts, almost reaching her waist. She looked around, saw nothing but darkness and felt nothing but despair.

Home. I need to go home, she thought. She began to walk, feeling lost. Follow your instincts, Emma, her mother always told her and so she did.

The cabin was not far, she realized after walking for a while, but something made her stop in her tracks. She kept hearing noises, familiar notice. Her mama had taught her how to know what lurks in the distance by sounds, which is why she knew she was about to be attacked. She jumped back when a wolf appeared in front of her, standing defensively. This wolf she knew well.

"Mama!" The wolf froze where it was. "Oh, Mama! I was just on my way home." The wolf just stared, taking her in. Why didn't her mama just take her home? Was her mama so angry?

Emma ran to her mama and hugged her hard.

"Please, mama. Something terrible has happened to me." Emma noticed her voice was also different. Deeper, stronger. She must look different to her mama too. "Look at me, it's me, Mama!" The wolf's eyes met her daughters and she howled. She believed her.

Emma got on her Mama's back as much as this new height would allow and off they went. Soon, they were at their cabin and Emma's breath came easier. She feared how her parents would take the news…what the Dark One had done. How was she to tell them about the curse? Would the curse last? And what exactly had happened to her?

As they got in the cabin, Emma looked for her Mama's hood and placed it over her. Red turned into her human self again. She stood and fastened he hood. Emma was not prepared for the look her mother gave her then.

It was as if she didn't know her, as if Emma were a complete stranger.

"Emma," She said in a choked voice. Red's blue eyes were filled with tears and she tried hard to get enough air in her lungs. "My little girl," She whispered brokenly.

"Mama, what is it? Do you already know? Why are you hurting, mama!" Emma asked, trying to take her mother's hands, but she moved away and began to search the house quickly. Emma's heart squeezed painfully. Did her mama not want to touch her? "Mama, please."

"Loo—Look at yourself, Emma." Red said, giving her a small mirror. Emma looked from her mama to the mirror on her hand and raised it, only to drop it, sending shattered pieces of it flying everywhere.

"No!" Emma said, her fear becoming real. She felt different because she was. "Mama, I'm…"

"You're a woman, Emma….how did this happen? You're father and I have been worry sick about you and now I find you—I find you like this. This was dark magic. Who did this to you, Swan?" Red asked her daughter, tears running down her face. Emma wept too, shaking her head, wishing this were all a nightmare.

Emma just looked at her nearly broken mother, not knowing what to say. She took a breath and conjured strength.

"Mama, I have been cursed by…by the Dark One." Red stopped breathing all together. Her baby girl…how could this be?

"He cursed me for attacking him on accident…I used magic, Mama! I didn't know I had magic. And now he's put a curse on me." Red just took in her daughter and the gown of feathers and the swan-shaped figure that took place on the gown's middle.

"What did he do? Why are you wearing those feathers? " Red asked, not quite understanding what she would have to do. Because she would get her daughter out of this, she vowed herself.

"I don't know…I—" Emma paused and looked down at herself again, then looked at her mother. Everything was coming back to her. "He said…he told me that I'd be a swan. I remember it Mama. It was so painful. He turned me into a swan and he told me something about being a princess?" Her mother stiffened further and shook her head.

"Dark Ones lie and maniputale, my child." Ruby whispered, taking her daughter's hand and sitting in the nearby chairs. "How did you turn into a swan if you're a girl…a woman right now?" Red asked, wiping at her daughter's tears. She might have the body of a woman, but she remained a child to her.

"He said something else…he said 'If day light shall come, a white swan shall too. The only thing worthy of killing those wings will be the grace of the moon'." Emma said, chills appearing on her skin at the memory of the beast's voice. Ruby nodded.

"Of course..." She said. Emma seeked her mother's eyes.

"Mama, you know something? Have you heard of this before?" Emma asked. Ruby shrugged.

"Emma, look at your mama. I'm a wolf." Emma nodded, recognition hitting her like a bucket of ice cold water. "Wolfstime is brought by the moon and that is my curse. You're a swan by the sun, which is yours."

"Perfect opposites." Emma whispered.

"How will we ever destroy your curse? I imagine a hood will not suffice." Red said, looking defeated.

"We will find a way, mama. We must find a way." Emma whispered before the door to their cabin was thrown open.

"Did you find her, my love? Did you find our daughter?" Graham asked breathlessly, looking around before his eyes set on his wife and daughter. "I thought you'd be out finding Emma and yet you're here with—who is this?" He asked, anger darkening his features.

His father did not recognize her. Emma's heart hurt further.

"This is Emma, Graham. Something terrible's happened." Red explained. Shaking her head. The huntsman walked closer to Emma, eyes disbelieving. "She's been cursed by the Dark One. He…he did this to her."

He bent on one knee and looked her in the eyes for a long time. Emma could not hold back her tears when her father shed one, too.

"I could never forget those eyes." Graham whispered brokenly. "But you weep for something else, my lady. Did you make a deal? I want to know what has been done to my child." The huntsman said, taking in his daughter, making sure she was not harmed.

"He said I'd be a swan during the day and would be back to myself in the night." Emma whispered as her father wiped away her tears.

"You disobeyed us. You left didn't you? The Dark One doesn't come to villages like this unless there's a deal to be made." Emma looked down, but her father gently forced her to face him. "Answer me, Emma Swan."

"I did, Papa. I left and I went into the Forbidden Village and now….this has happened." She whispered. She knew her father well enough to know that he was as broken as he was angry.

"How could you do this, Emma? We warned you, we told you and you just left? How could you be so careless?" He asked in a gentle voice, his body shaking with anger and his eyes filled with pain.

"Graham, it's not her fault." Ruby defended. Graham nodded.

"I'm sorry, Papa. I truthfully am." Emma whispered at her father who's eyes did not leave hers.

"I shall go make a deal with him to undo this. There must be something I can give him." The huntsman said, causing both women to yell "NO!"

"And how else do you suggest we do this? Ask the only other sorceress we know? The Evil Queen will not do us any favors." Graham said furiously, standing and pacing. "I shall find the Dark One and I shall get him to undo this. If he won't, I will kill him. Then I will take his power and be able to help you, Emma."

Her parents began to discuss heatedly, for the first time in all of her life. She stood and watched as the two people she loved most tried to find a way to fix her. To fix what she had broken.

She sobbed and watched until the pain became unbearable.

"I'm sorry for this, Mama and Papa. I love you both." She whispered before closing her eyes and concentrating. Within seconds her parents had fallen on the floor. It had worked. They were both unconscious. She hoped the magic she had used had only made them fall asleep, as she intended.

Emma was leaving now. She was leaving them and never coming back, not until she fixed this. She had broken their happy endings and she had to fix them. Somehow, somewhere she'd find a cure and if she didn't, she'd brace herself.

This was her fault. She would save herself and save them, too.

Kneeling to kiss both of their foreheads, she plucked two feathers from her gown and placed them over their chests. It was a symbol of hope. When they were to wake up, they were to see the feathers and know that Emma would be alright. That she would save herself.

Shedding a tear and kissing them again, she left.

Days, weeks, months and years passed. Emma was a beautiful swan in the daylight and herself during the night, just as the beast had told her. Emma looked after her parents, who went to every witch or sorcerer in the land all of them said the same thing "You can't use Dark Magic to fix Dark Magic, unless it is the same sorcerers doing. The only answer is a kiss of True Love."

Emma couldn't stand seeing her parents suffer. She noticed they both wore the feathers she had given them on delicate chains around their necks. She visited them, at night, and watched as her mother cried upon her father's chest, but as always, her mother would sense her and she had to flee.

Emma looked and looked for places to live. Where could a daytime swan and a nighttime woman possible live without raising any questions?

But she found herself lost and as always, when the moon began to fall, Emma's transformation began. White and golden smoke surrounded her as her dress became her skin. The gorgeous swan fled, tears falling from its eyes.

Her broken routine stopped on day, for she had found the place she knew she'd call home: a lake. The lake was beautiful, crystal clear, but what caught the swan's attention was not the water, but the swans swimming in it.

Dark swans, light swans. She wouldn't be alone.

Despair had begun to settle in and she had convinced herself the curse would consume her, this is why the lake had such importance. It was to her as those feathers were to her parents: hope.

And so it was that Emma Swan swam by day and walked night, always accompanied by the dark swans that lived at her swan lake. She has become very familiarized with her magic, too; the power had taken its place inside her and she learned to master it. With time, the swans began a pattern; they would follow Emma. She was beginning to feel like one of their own, like their leader.

One night, Emma Swan sat silently looking at the lake and its swimming swans.

"Starting to lose faith, dearie?" Rumpelstiltskin said, coming up behind Emma.

"Never." She answered, not caring enough to turn around. One of the dark swans made its way to Emma, settling it's neck on her lap. She caressed it, caring for it as she felt they had for her.

"The swans are quite friendly, aren't they, Swan Princess. You should be friendlier towards them as well." The man said, sitting down next to the princess.

"You curse me and expect me to care enough to 'mingle' ?" Emma said, patting the animal on her lap gently, giving the sorcerer a venomous look. He gave her a dark chuckle.

"Ah, dearie. You lied to me. You are losing hope…and that light magic you've been using won't last forever." Emma looked at him, attentively now.

"What do you mean, beast?" Emma demanded, not wanting to let go of the one thing that make her feel hopeful, complete: her magic.

"White magic is based on hope and faith, dearie. The longer the time trying to fix something, the more you lose that hope and faith. The light will rapidly become darkness and when that happens completely, your death will arrive." He gave her a little bow. "Until me meet again, Princess." He spit before leaving and with him, more of her hope.

She sobbed, clinging to the swan before her.

The Evil Queen woke up with the same ache in her heart that she had been feeling for years. What the hell was happening to her? She could barely stand these days.

She didn't know why in the past couple of years she had been feeling like her death was upon her.

She left her bed and walked to her guards' resting area to check on her loyal pets. She has seen a great change in the huntsman over the years, but today his features gave her a chills. She remembered a long time ago when the huntsman had sobbed loudly to his loyal friend and her guard, August.

"She is gone, August, our swan!" Regina had obsevered long enough to know that both men were hurting immensely, but so was she.

What had happened to Emma?

Regina had thought the worse and ran to her gardens, feeling as though if the child had died, so would a part of her. She sat on her throne every day after that, trying not to care of weep for someone that was never hers. She often visited her garden and the lake that she'd hidden for herself. It was calming and soothing to watch the dark swans she had placed there in memory of the child she hadn't seen any more, but lately something had changed. Not all swans were black, one of them was white.

The Queen no idea if it had changed or if this one had somehow found her lake.

She's heard legends of a light swan that would rule, a queen. She often humored herself into thinking that swan was the legend she'd heard of. The Swan Queen.

Today, the Evil Queen watched as the white swan, not noticing her, got out and shook the water out of its feathers. All the dark swans followed suit, doing the same. A Swan Queen, alright, thought the Evil Queen with a sad smile.

Emma was tired of being a swan, of being followed that day. She longed for the moon to finally rise. She loved the lake and her companions, but she absolutely hated having to be trapped inside a body that did not belong to her.

Regina looked harder at the swan and noticed the strangest thing: the swan was crying. Did swans cry? She shook her head in disbelief and kept staring at the peculiar creature, until the pain in her heart became unbearable once again and sadness delved deeper inside her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Dark feather**

So it was that Regina would go visit the lake every day. She spent more time there, observing from afar, than she'd like to admit. It soothed her greatly to watch the swan; this place had become her safe haven. She saw the swans and their graceful movements against the gentle waters. The white swan had been in the water almost the whole time the queen was there. The gorgeous white swan started to swim to the lakes edge. Something about the swan caught her eyes. The beautiful white swan had a dark feather. A single feather the color of charcoal.

 _This is not right…white swans don't just turn dark,_ thought Regina. After that, she spent nights reading about swans, obsessed with the idea of this change. The Queen would sit at her balcony and watch the moonlight while she read.

One night, something caught her eye. A bright light came from the lake; A light that surrounded something…or was it someone? She put her book down and magically transported herself to her gardens. The Evil Queen never expected what she saw.

The bright light was emitted by the swan as it transformed into a woman. _What the hell?_ thought the Queen thought to herself.

The woman had long golden hair that cascaded over her face, arms and almost reached her elbows. The Queen couldn't see her face, for she seemed to be taking herself in. She wore a gown too bright for Regina's liking, but perfect for the blonde. It was made of feathers and it clung to the woman's subtle bust, small waist and snug hips. She was a breathtaking sight indeed.

The Swan Queen? Was this really her?

Pushing the thought away, the Evil Queen smirked to herself for she knew as beautiful as this golden haired woman was, _she_ was the fairest of them all.

The woman's neck would not rise and the Queen watched from her usual spot, impatiently awaiting the sight of the mysterious woman's face.

"Losing faith already, dearie" Rumpelstiltskin appeared in front of the woman, blocking the Queen's view. _Of course_ , she thought. _The imp!_ "It's seems your life is beginning to end, Princess." He told the woman, who didn't answer. "Poor white swan, at last getting what you deserve. You took my son away from me." He spit.

The Evil Queen cursed as the woman looked up and because of the beast in front of her, she could not see.

"I did no such thing, you beast! He was helping me get to my friend and to my home safely before you attacked the village. I had just met him and I was trying to save us...from you." The woman's voice pulled at Regina's heart. It was the perfect mix of sweet and strong. When she had yelled, it made Regina uncomfortable, a feeling deep inside her chest. She didn't know why she didn't just rip her own damned heart out.

"Remember my words, dearie. The more faith you lose, the closer your end is." Rumple disappeared, leaving the blonde woman behind.

Emma, never noticing the Queen's presence, turned quickly and stood in the lake waiting for the dark swans to come to her. When they did, the woman covered them with golden magic. This confused Regina further. What the hell was going on and why was it happening in her lake? And when was she finally going to see the intruders face?

"Your Highness," One of the swans said. "We saw your family today again as you requested. They are in perfect conditions."

"Except they still weep for you, Your Highness. They wished they could find you…" Another one started, but the woman held up a hand.

"That's enough, thank you. You may leave. I want to be left alone," The sorceress said, turning back around and walking out of the waters. It was then that Regina saw her face.

The woman had striking green eyes that reminded her only of the child she was grieving. She put a hand over her heart as it began to ache.

"Not now," she whispered, hungrily eyeing the other woman. The princess, as Rumpelstiltskin had called her, had a long, slim nose and a pink, nicely shaped mouth. Her cheekbones were high and her chin demanded to be praised. She was absolutely beautiful. Her fair skin seemed to glow, but it was unusual. As if that glow were dying instead of intensifying.

"…far longer than forever," Regina heard the woman whisper. The Queen just couldn't help herself now.

"I knew you were no ordinary swan." She said, surprising the woman in the white dress. She stood there, eyes wide, back perfectly straight. Her hands rested one upon the other, in front of her. Graceful, beautiful. "I would like to know the name of the presumed princess that has been living in my royal gardens for I am this land's queen." The Evil Queen demanded, looking into those green eyes. Regina walked towards the woman, enjoying the way her eyes expressed complete awe.

The woman eyed the Evil Queen hungrily, like she couldn't believe her eyes. The Queen wore a night gown. As usual, this one was see-through and very thin. It accentuated her subtle curves and it's red coloring made her hair and naturally red lips stand out.

The Queen didn't care who saw her like this for this was her castle and she wore what she liked.

"You may call me Swan and I am no _princess_." The woman said, taking her eyes off the Queen's very exposed body. "The swans consider me their ruler, but that doesn't make me a princess." The woman said, looking up at the moon. "And since you have been watching for a while, the beast calls me princess because he gets a kick out of it. I am not like you, _Your Majesty_." Regina felt like smirking at the sarcastic tone. Who did she think she was?

"My, my," Regina began in that sultry, harsh tone her voice emitted naturally. "the swan princess has a bit of an attitude. That is quite brave for a trespasser." The blond woman did not take her eyes from the moon for she knew it would not rise tomorrow; at least it would not be visible and she was dreading being a swan for an entire day.

Regina could just observed. She saw why Rumple had made this woman a swan. She had a graceful look about her; the elegance of the animal she called herself. She reminded her so much of Emma.

The little ducky she'd seen grow until her fifteenth year and was now gone. The Evil Queen could not help the sting in her eyes at the thought that this is exactly how little Emma would have looked if she had had the opportunity to become a woman.

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the broken sob come from blonde haired woman. Regina's hand rose involuntarily and she pushed it back down.

What was happening to her? Was she going soft?

"Why do you weep, Miss Swan? Were you not defying the Evil Queen just a second ago?" Regina mocked, but the woman turned away and wiped at her tears.

"I do not wish to die. Not today, not tomorrow. Not like this," The blonde said, looking down at herself, touching the black feather that had appeared just at the very center of her breasts. The Queen observed as Swan sat and tried to pull at the feather, moaning in pain.

 _This got better and better,_ thought the Queen. And then she realized what was happening. She had only come here and seen the white swan in the daylight.

A swan by day and a woman by night. _Simple curse_ , she thought.

The Queen sat down beside the woman and noticing she was staring at the moon again, she also looked at the moon.

The Evil Queen was not one to support an emotionally distressed woman, but she felt like she had met this woman before. She could not help the connection and the way her body reacted to her.

It was not possible that this was their first meeting for the Queen was cold and evil and nobody moved her this way.

But there was something about Miss Swan. Her beauty, her voice, the way she defied her... She wanted more of that. She wanted to hear her speak more, wanted to know why she wept and why the feather had grown dark.

The Evil Queen sat there for endless minutes next to the woman who did not take her eyes off the moon. She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes at the stupidity that she was about to commit.

The Queen took Swan's hand and squeezed. The blonde turned to face her as they both gasped. So the other woman had felt the same thing? When Regina's hand touched Swan's, she felt energy flow through her and she could not mistake the way it landed on her heart. As if it had healed her.

Was this woman the reason she heard had been so sick?

"You felt it too." The Swan said, squeezing Regina's hand harder. The Queen just stared at the pale hand that held her own. "Answer me." The demand made the Evil Queen look her in the eyes.

Emma felt those brown eyes she knew so well would melt her then and there. She had fantasized and dreamt about this woman, but nothing ever compared to the vision that she really was. Emma thought this was all a dream for the Queen would not care enough to comfort her. She could not believe the lake she had ended up in would turn out to be Regina's.

How had she not noticed the castle? Had it been glamoured from her eyes before? Emma Swan did not know what to do now, but there was one thing that made her feel comfortable.

The Queen did not know who she was and she had demonstrated an interest in her. This was good. Perhaps this eternity of hers would not be so terrible, at least for the moments the Queen would spend with her.

"I felt nothing but your cold hand, Miss Swan." The Queen finally said in a stiff tone. Emma's eyes narrowed as they looked into the other woman's cunning ones and then she looked down. "What happened to your feathers? Why is one of them dark? And who are you?" The Queen questioned, her thumb rubbing small circles on Emma's palm.

She couldn't help the thrills that went up and down her spine. There was no way Her Majesty did not feel this…this connection.

"It means I am to die soon. As I darken, my death is nearer and nearer. That is the sentence the beast had placed upon me." The woman with the golden hair explained.

"Rumpelstiltskin, of course." Regina whispered, full of hatred.

"You heard him, did you not? He will get his wish." Emma whispered, her green eyes looking into the Queen's warm, dark ones. Her Majesty shook her head and leaned in. Their faces were only inches apart and Emma was completely breathless. Her lips ached and her skin burned.

"No. I will not let him get his desires. I will not let you die, not now, not ever, Miss Swan. Do you understand me?" The Queen asked, her eyes never leaving Emma's.

Emma nodded, but the movement brought their foreheads together and surprisingly, the Queen did not move away.

"I do, Your Majesty." Emma whispered just above the Queen's parted lips.

This reminded Emma of the swans she lived with when they found their pair. They would press their foreheads together beautifully. She had always admired the gesture and it had warmed her heart.

But this did not warm her, she burned instead. There was a beat being skipped in her chest and her entire body ached for more of the other woman's.

Was this wrong? Did the Queen feel the same?

The Queen's eyes snapped from Emma's mouth to her eyes and she went to move away, but Emma didn't allow it. Her hand grasped the Queen's face and pulled their foreheads together again.

"What are you doing, Miss Swan? We just met and this is hardly appropriate." The Queen said, not struggling against Emma's hand as it moved a little lower and deeper into her hair. The Queen's body was extremely alarmed by this. She felt desire like she had not felt in years, desire she had never felt for a woman.

"You cannot tell me you do not feel this, You Majesty." The blonde woman bluntly whispered, her lips accidently grazing the Queens.

The warmth inside the Queen's heart was enough to tell her this had to be over and she roughly pulled away from the blonde.

"Next time you call me a liar, Miss Swan, I will have your head on a spike!" The Queen threatened, standing up. She scowled at the wide-eyed woman. "You will learn to behave yourself around royalty, _princess._ " She spit the last word and turned around, beginning to walk herself back to her castle.

Emma stood and raised her chin as the woman sashayed.

"I will call you what I want, Your Majesty." Emma said sarcastically and the woman stopped to listen. "And I never implied you lied. You said that yourself." The Queen turned around and Emma fought hard to keep her eyes from drifting to the woman's body, instead she focused on the furious eyes looking back at her.

"I suggest you search for a new lake to invade, Miss Swan…Unless you would like to be killed and cooked for my dinner. I do love a well-cooked swan." And with those words, Her Majesty magically took herself to her bedchambers.

Emma stood there and watched the purple cloud of smoke dissolve slowly as a mix of dread and intrigue swirled inside her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Walls**

After that night, the Queen simply could not help herself. She would sneak glances at the woman, who had chosen to stay, even when threatened to be turned into a meal. She would watch through her mirror as she transformed into her beautiful human self every night and then slept by the lake. What really tore at the Queen's heart was the way Miss Swan looked at the moon; it was as if she were begging it to stay forever.

One of those nights in which the Queen settled on her bed to watch the woman, she was surprised by what she saw. The breathtaking woman had been strong for too long and finally broke down and as she sobbed, Regina saw how another white feather darkened.

The Evil Queen was not one to deprive herself of what she wanted. She always got what she desired, one way or another and that night she wanted to visit Swan.

She wanted to touch her, to have Swan's head on her lap and run her fingers through the silky golden hair. She wanted Miss Swan to finish what she had started all those nights ago. She hadn't forgotten Miss Swan's smell or how her lips had burned when their mouths had been a breath apart.

Regina used magic to appear at the lake and she slowly walked close to the woman that had apparently cried herself to sleep. She quietly made her way to the woman and bent her knees to get a closer look. She was on her side, right at the edge of the water. The Queen noticed even asleep, tears still spilled from her eyes and she sobbed quietly. She touched Swan softly, running her fingers down the woman's face. The woman's hand raised and magic blasted the Evil Queen backwards only stopping when her black collided with a nearby tree. The Queen growled at the pain and scowled at the woman whose eyes had just opened.

"You say you do not wish to die, yet you do this to me?" The Queen said in a growl-like voice, standing and magically taking the pain away from her back. The other woman stood, taking in the once again nightgown clad Queen.

Regina awaited an answer, but she could not shake the thought that she had not expected that behavior. She had been asleep…maybe she had not meant to hurt the Queen. Maybe swans don't like to be touched.

What bothered the Evil Queen the most was that the woman simply looked at her, and then away. Not an ounce of an apology or regret on her face. The woman just stared at the moon.

Anger swelled up inside the Queen.

"Look at me and tell me what the hell just happened!" She demanded, her yells making the blonde flinch.

"Leave me." Was Swan's only answer. Then she sat at a log and even though she faced Regina, she didn't look at her, she looked at the sky.

Regina took a deep, even breath. She wanted to kill the woman as much as she wanted to comfort her. Reason taking over her, she simply opted for sitting next to the golden haired beauty.

Regina looked at her, thinking that maybe it would make her uncomfortable and make her talk, but she got nothing. Emma didn't look at Regina for she had chosen to close her heart to the woman, but Regina could see right through her. Swan's walls were as high as the ocean was deep, but the Queen's decision to help her and get her through this had the exact same intensity. She'd bring down those walls if it were the last thing she were to do.

"Swan," She tried, reaching to touch the woman's shoulder, but she shrugged her off.

Emma knew that with just one word or even a touch she would break down and she was not letting that happen again. She was not weak; she was not a damsel in distress. She would save herself and that's how it had to be.

Regina felt even more anger boiling inside her. How dare she resist the Queen?

"I know what you are doing, Miss Swan." She began. "You are putting up walls, pushing me away." She finished in a whisper. Then with a smirk she added, "I am going to destroy those walls and when I do, I'm going to show you that I can help you. I'm going to save what's left of you, Miss Swan." Regina said and even though it was no sinister plan, it sounded like a threat. To her surprise, a black feather of the many, many that had grown fell onto the ground. The woman looked at the fallen feather and then at the Queen, finally.

"What was that?" The Evil Queen asked as the emerald eyes looking back at her were full of surprise. Swan must have realized what she did and looked away again. "I'm trying to help you, Swan. Answer me! " She yelled finally losing her cool and using magic to force the woman's body closer and her eyes to her own.

Emma just stared into furious deep brown eyes and hoped to hear that voice one more time. Even if it yelled at her. Regina's voice calmed her, made her feel serene. Only the Queen's presence made her feel at peace. She wondered was touching her would do.

Using magic of her own, she liberated herself and looked down at her chest and waist, where the feathers had begun to gather. Then she began to count.

"Thirty-six" whispered Emma, looking at the Evil Queen, whose eyebrows relaxed and then furrowed in confusion

The Queen looked at beautiful Swan with sad eyes, not understanding what she was to do about this situation. Why had the other fallen and how did she make the rest fall as well?

"Swan, I—What the hell are you doing?" She exclaimed as Emma began to pull at the black feathers, screaming in pain. Blood ran down under her breasts and waist continuing its journey down her body. The Queen didn't know what to do; she just watched Swan scream in pain. Regina reached forward; trying to pry the woman's hand from another pair of feathers, but the other woman stood and shook her head.

"I—I cannot let them grow any longer." She sobbed, looking down at the black feathers in her hands and at the ones she had pulled out. tried to stop the swan from pulling her beautiful feathers. The Queen could hear the clinking and rubbing of armor for her guards must have heard the screams.

"This is not the way, Miss Swan." Regina whispered, standing and taking the other woman's bloody hands. "Look at you, you're drenched in blood." The Queen tried to clean everything with her magic, but to her surprise, the magic did not work on her. When Regina looked back into the woman's green eyes, she saw they had turned angry.

"Do not touch me! I don't need your pity. Your Majesty. I can do this…I can do it on my own." She spit at the Evil Queen, shaking her hands off.

"Just what the hell is wrong with you? Do you think the Evil Queen just helps everyone that stumbles into her castle? DO YOU THINK I DO THIS FOR OTHER PEOPLE?!" The Queen all but yelled at the woman, whose response to the Queen's growls was a flinch.

"With a name like that who in their right minds would think you'd be helping people? Of course I know you do not give away charity. I hear the screams of the many men and women you torture and kill, Your Majesty." Swan said, smirking savagely at the Queen, who glared harder, stealing a glance at her castle. "Yes, I know exactly who you are. I am no fool, which is why I know you cannot help me. You cannot help someone you do not understand." The Queen's eyes softened and with them, Emma's heart. She could see Regina was just trying to help her. Perhaps she felt the same way about her. She had gone every day to see her, even if they did not speak. That had to mean something.

"Then make me understand." Regina whispered. "I want to know what happened to you, who you are. I want to help you." Emma hated that Regina got through to her with her soft-raspy voice and her engaging eyes. Regina was no good at putting up walls when it came to Emma, but neither was Emma when it came to Regina.

She tried one last time.

"I do not need you, Your Majesty." Emma said. The Queen nodded and stepped closer, taking Emma in. The Swan just could not breathe.

"No, Miss Swan, but maybe I need you." The Evil Queen whispered, her lips just a breath away from Emma's. "Help me understand. Help me understand you so that we shall destroy this curse, Miss Swan." Regina said again in a harder tone, not taking Emma's lies anymore.

Emma reached for Regina's hand and put it on her chest.

"Pull one." She instructed. The Queen shook her head, but Emma insisted. "All magic comes at a price. A little bit of pain from me will be enough make you understand. You must know it will hurt…when you know everything." Emma warned, but Regina's mind was made up.

Regina took hold of a black feather and looked into Emma's emerald eyes, pulling at it. Emma moaned in pain as the thing was stripped from her already sore flesh. More blood ran down her body as well as Regina's hand.

"And now?" The Queen questioned handing over the feather.

"Give me your wrist." The Queen obeyed.

Emma pressed her forehead to the other woman's as she looked down at the wrist she held. Regina looked at Swan, admiring how beautiful she was, how close she was.

"I'm sorry." Emma whispered, glancing into Regina's eyes and then back down at the wrist, pressing the feather into Regina's skin.

"Ah! Oh, Swan!" Regina said, the pain making her knees weak. "What are you doing to me?" She whispered, looking down at her wrist. The feather was becoming part of her skin, curving into her flesh; a tattoo.

"Now you will know what I've felt and feel what I will feel every day after this night." Emma whispered, panting with the pain she had also felt.

The Evil Queen stepped back, feeling her heart beat harder and faster with the rush of emotions running through her. Now they were linked, connected in a way no one else would be and it gave them both a feeling of euphoria.

The only way they stayed on their feet was by holding onto each other.

"Who are you?" The Queen demanded breathlessly, her forehead against Emma's. "Tell me why I feel like this."

"I cannot answer that." Swan answered, pulling away. The Queen looked down at her wrist and saw the feather, dark and stunning against her olive skin. "Perhaps you should ask the beast that did this to me, you know who he is." Regina looked up at Miss Swan and narrowed her eyes.

"He has done much more than curse you," She whispered, getting closer. "And I'm going to find out everything." She stared at Swan intensely. "Do you have anything to tell me?"

Emma shook her head. She was not going to tell Regina the truth. How would she react? Would she actually throw her out of her castle?

"No." She answered just before the Queen disappeared.

Regina stood in her chamber, clutching at her heart. The pain was back now, pain that Miss Swan must be feeling.

Her eyes filled with tears that, she had no doubt, were the ones Swan was shedding.

The Evil Queen does _not_ cry, she reminded herself.

 _But she does kill and a certain imp just made the top of my list._

She looked at her mirror and raised a hand, but thought against it. No, she was not going to speak to him through her mirror. That was too good for him.

"Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin! ", chanted the Queen with anger.

"Well, hello, dearie!" The beast exclaimed. The Queen glared, nearing him.

"Tell me everything you know about the Swan Princess in _my_ lake, Rumple." The Evil Queen drawled, circling the little man.

"Oh, dearie, but you already know everything. A swan during the day and a woman during night, Your Majesty. Quite simple, is it not?" He said, flashing his wrecked teeth.

"Oh, yes, but I mean where did you find her? Who are her parents? How old is she and why the hell does she possess magic more powerful than my own?" She questioned the man, stopping at his side.

"Well, because the Swan out there is the one and only product of True Love. The truest love of all the realms, dearie." Regina was breathless. Could it be? "She has lived seventeen springs, dearie…just a girl about to come of age." Rumpelstiltskin answered, his terrible eyes sparkling as he giggled and bounced on his feet.

The Queen stood in front of him.

"I cursed the golden haired girl at the age of fifteen. Should I keep hinting, dearie? I believe you already know that woman out there is the little one you once stole." Regina couldn't bear to listen to him anymore. It couldn't be true.

"No." She whispered, looking at herself in her mirror and at the feather on her wrist. "NO!"

That was Emma, her Emma. And she was going to die! The Queen was supposed to die before her, this was NOT how she planned little Emma's life to be.

She had not planned the things she felt for her either.

"That cannot be true! That Swan is a woman! She is not seventeen years old." She said to the imp, her face merely inches from his horrible one.

He shrugged comically.

"For her to become the gorgeous white swan, her body needed to resemble the woman she was to be. Do not fret, dearie. She is just like you, beautiful forever." He whispered. "She will never age…if she lives that is." He added, waving his hands around.

The Evil Queen's eyes filled with tears of pure fury as he hand clutched her chest, above her heart.

"What will save her?" She whispered and got no response, but a smirk. "TELL ME IMP!" She yelled, causing him to close his eyes and flinch.

He giggled and stepped back.

"You Majesty, how about a deal?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, bouncing with excitement.

"What is it you desire, Beast?" She asked, completely ready to do anything to save the girl she held so dear in her heart.

"If she lives, she must give me her first and last feather. They are different for the first is as golden as her hair and the second as black as your heart." He said, pointing in the direction of Regin's hand. She quickly removed it.

"Deal." She accepted. "Now tell me."

"The Dark Swan shall rise if her feathers keep darkening, dearie. After her feathers reach below the waist, she will begin to weaken. Her hair will become as white as snow and her eyes the darkest green. The woman you know will die and only darkness will live inside that body, darkness that I will absorb and use for myself. If this happens, I will become the most powerful Dark One. However, since you want to stop my fun….The only thing that can save her is a kiss of True Love."

"You twisted little imp." She spit, shaking with anger. Her brown eyes looked into his, letting him know exactly what she felt for him. "You are lucky you keep that dagger of yours safe because if I ever found it, I would run it. Through. You." She threatened, again with her face inches from his.

He mocked being hurt, placing a hand above his heart.

"Is there someone she loves? A person that can kiss her to undo your curse?" She asked, straightening and looking at herself in the mirror. She was pretty much naked in front of the imp, but she did not care. He never cared to look, either.

"I'm sure she does, Your Majesty. " Rumpelstiltskin whispered, looking into the Queen's eyes through the mirror.

The he disappeared into his own castle. He giggled and sat on his wheel, beginning to spin.

Everything was going exactly as he planned.


	9. chapter 9

**Hope**

The Evil Queen could barely ever see Emma. Since she learned the truth about her "Miss Swan", she started to look for a solution in every spell book she could find, but she came up empty.

She growled as she threw one of her books against the wall next to her. The imp was not lying when he said the only way to break this spell was True Love's Kiss. It was his curse; it would be broken on his terms.

But she would not give up so easily. There had to be a loophole, there always was. She saw Emma through her mirror and felt her pain intensifying every day. The pain now started where the feather was branded on her skin. It burned and ached and traveled up her arm and into her heart.

Every day was tiring and sickening for the Queen, but today she needed more of Emma. She needed not only to see her, but to talk to her. She felt an unshakeable pull towards her and no matter how hard she tried to stay away, to understand that this was wrong, she couldn't.

She waved her hand over her mirror and the woman appeared before her. This time and for the first time in days, she was filled with warmth. She often wondered if that feeling was what others called happiness.

She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling as she stared at the woman, who held small, dark swans to her chest. She smiled at them and talked to them, but her words were lost to the Queen. She was taken by the happy expression on the other woman's face.

Her Majesty transported herself to see the Swan Princess. Emma was lying on the ground, laughing with little baby swans on her chest. Her laughter filled the made the Queen's heart skip a beat.

What sorcery did Emma possess? This was something no other being could do. It had to be some sort of magic.

One of the ducks was hidden in Emma's neck for the little one was afraid. The kind woman took the little thing in her palm and kissed its head, sitting up. The rest of them slid down to her lap and stumbled through the feathers of her gown and onto the ground.

Three of the black swans in the lake met the little ones half way as they approached their ruler, necks bowing before speaking.

"Your Highness," One of the black swans said, "Your family is doing well." Emma put the little swan on her lap and glared at the one who had just spoken to her. "Well, your mother still seeks you. Your father does too, but she is…quite affected, Your Highness." She nodded, looking at the swan in between the other two, with sad eyes.

"Lilith is helping your parents, my Princess; she and the young man Baelfire, who swears undying love for you." The swan said quickly. The princess nodded, smiling softly at the thought of her friends.

The Evil Queen's eye narrowed as she took this in. Baelfire…did Emma love him as well? And why did the thought taste like bile in her mouth?

"No, no…he must feel guilt. Great guilt for what's happened to me." Emma answered, kissing the frightened little swan that did not leave her lap. "Do not let them find me." She ordered the three swans that had come to talk to her and they took that as their cue to leave her.

Emma's eyes went back to the swan she held; she was smiling brightly at it and laughed at the other little ones as they played. The sound was like a beautiful melody to the Queen's ears…she could not get enough.

She stood and joined the other little swans, humming a song for them. She put the shy one on the ground next to the others. She smiled and danced around with them, laughing at the trembling little one she held. Regina found herself smiling for she had never seen her Miss Swan so happy.

"If I could break the spell, I'd go to her today," Emma sang, softly. "…but somehow I know, I know she's on her way to me," Her voice was addicting and the way she prolonged the last word made Regina close her eyes to savor this. When she opened them, Emma was waving her hand over the little swans and they began to talk, all at once.

"Shush, little ones. One at a time, please." Emma said kindly.

"Are you going to name us, Your Highness?" The shy one asked softly. Its voice was one of a girl's.

"If you'd like me to, little one…and please, call me Emma." Emma said, picking her up as her siblings played about. The princess kissed her little head and smiled. "You shall be called Ducky. I was someone's little ducky once and you shall be mine." The little swan rested her head against the princess' cheek as a gesture of gratefulness.

"Thank you, Emma." The little swan said, happy with the princess.

"Off you go, little one. Join the others." Emma let them go, looking at the moon, still smiling.

Regina's head was foggy with the pleasure Emma's happiness had brought her and her heart warm with what she had just seen. As much as she hated to face the truth, she had to accept that she was no Evil Queen when it came to Emma. She melted her heart and undid her completely.

"It would appear the princess is happy today." Emma's head turned so she could meet Regina's eyes. "How come you never sing or smile like that for me, Your Highness?" Regina questioned sarcastically, swaying her hips as she neared the princess. Emma's heart pounded, threatening to explode in her chest as the raven haired woman walked towards her, her body exposed under that transparent nightgown.

"You barely come to see me, Your Majesty. I bet you use your mirror…I feel your eyes on me." Emma whispered with a small shrug. "Did it ever occur to you that I only sing or smile for those who have earned it?" Regina licked her lips and raised her chin, cocking an eyebrow.

She would have loved to push the cheeky girl against the nearest tree and show her just how much she was going to earn the smiles and the songs, but she reeled it in. This was Emma. Little, innocent Emma.

"You cannot hide what you truly feel behind that attitude, Miss Swan." Regina whispered, raising her branded wrist and taking in how almost half of Emma's feathers were dark. "Did it ever occur to you that you could not act around me anymore once we were connected?" Emma's smile grew and she closed the space between them.

"Dance with me." She whispered, swaying gently as her green eyes burned into the Queen's ebony ones.

Regina tried to keep a straight face as the other woman approached her, still moving with the grace of the moon that hung above them.

Emma stopped dancing and pulled Regina's body close, her hands grasping the Queen's waist. Regina stopped breathing as their fronts were pressed together and her almost naked breasts brushed against Emma's. Their noses were touching, Emma's caressing Regina's and the princess' emerald eyes were on Her Majesty's blood red lips. Regina closed her eyes to keep from doing what her body longed for, but she still felt her knees buckle when Emma's hands squeezed her thin waist.

"Look at me." Emma whispered. Regina opened her eyes to find the girl looking at her lips. Emma longed to kiss the Queen, to feel her luscious lips against hers. She hoped it would break her curse, she hoped the kiss would save her, but there was only one way this would work: if the Queen kissed _her._ Emma's hands moved up, making Regina gasp as they brushed her breasts and stopped to take the Queen's face.

"You can save me, Regina." She whispered, her lips just a breath away from Regina's. Regina sighed and pressed her lips together.

Before Emma could utter another word, the Queen disappeared.

Red had enough of waiting for her beautiful pup come home. She and her husband had gone to every library, every sorcerer and every witch.

The feathers they wore around their necks had turned as dark are charcoal and it worried the couple all the more.

Red could not stand the pain anymore. She had begged Graham to go to the Evil Queen and ask for help, but he simply would not.

"That is the very last thing I will do, my ruby. Please understand. She's evil, the darkest sorceress that has ever wielded such power. She would do nothing but harm our Emma." He had told her.

They only had one more option. The one that Red did not want to go through with.

The Light Kingdom.

They had defeated the darkness and they should have been able to find Emma and fix her somehow.

But Red did not want to go to Snow and James for she knew that once she saw her beautiful swan, she would take her away from her. The resemblance between them was too noticeable now that Emma had the body and face of a woman.

Red was torn because either way she'd lose her daughter, she just had to choose which one: to darkness or to Queen Snow and King James.

Every night she forcefully turned into the wolf in hopes of finding her daughter, but her body was getting exhausted and her efforts were in vain.

But this night, she and her husband were going into the Light castle; they were going to seek the King and Queen.

"Red, how are you? I haven't seen you in so many years…My gods!" Queen Snow White asked, rising and hugging her friend. The King shook the huntsman's hand and smiled kindly at Red. "Oh no…what's wrong?"

"Snow, we came to ask for a favor." Snow White's heart hurt for her friend. What could sadden her like this?

"Go on." The King prompted.

"Our beautiful Goldie Locks was cursed and we have no way to break the dark spell. We cannot find her, no matter how much we look." Red explained, tears running down her face.

"You are royalty, there must be a way you can help. The Dark One has done this to her and we need a way to reverse it." Graham's arm went around his sobbing wife. The King and Queen looked at each other and then at the couple with regret.

"We are afraid we cannot do much. We have no magic and the fairies are no longer servicing us. In fact, we have not seen Blue for many years." The King explained, his kind green eyes saddened.

"It's true...and we do not even know what your Goldie Locks look like. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, Red." Snow whispered, shaking her head.

"No, please! You have to find a way to help us!" Red begged. Graham held her closer, hoping she would not lose it and say something she would regret.

"We are so sorry." King James whispered.

"Please, Your Majesty! Help us find our Emma. PLEASE!" Red sobbed, Graham's arms falling from their hold on her.

The King and Queen froze, as did Graham.

"Emma?" Snow asked, her voice barely a whisper. "After our daughter was born, it was no longer legal to name another child Emma for we had not found ours." She explained, her eyes turning hostile.

"No, that's not what I said, Snow…I—" The King raised a hand to silence her.

"Your child is our Emma?" The King asked, his voice laced with venom.

Red uttered "No" as Graham said "Yes".

The leaders of the Light Kingdom looked at each other and then back at the couple.

Snow White walked towards her friend and looked her in the eyes.

"How could you do this to me?" She whispered. "You took her and paraded her in front of me, giving her a fake name all just to keep her…" Both women shed tears, Red because Snow was right and Snow because anger burned inside her like wildfire.

"GUARDS!" The King shouted.

"No, please! You have to help us find her. Do not lock us up!" The huntsman begged as the guards walked in.

"Oh, we will find her, but you both should consider jail a privilege, considering what you've done." Kind James said.

"Take them to the dungeons." Demanded Snow White, never taking her eyes off Red's.

"I am so sorry, Snow." Red whispered as the guards took her arms and placed them behind her and another did the same to her husband.

"As am I, Red." Snow said, wiping tears off her face. "As. Am. I."


	10. Chapter 10

A broken Deal

Emma appeared suddenly in front of one of the people she missed the most: Bae.

"Baelfire," She breathed, running to the man that she had come to consider more than a friend.

He stared at her, holding her at arm's length. Could it be her? The moonlight was highlighting her features just right and he could not believe her eyes.

"Emma?" His voice was deeper, his face harsher. Two years had turned him into a man. She smiled, nodding as his kind, brown eyes filled with tears. He took Emma into his arms and held her to his chest.

"Emma, my love!" He exclaimed, kissing her cheek and pulling away to take her in. "Where have you been? Your family and I have been looking for you everywhere!" Baelfire could not help taking her face in his hands. She was a vision, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

She just smiled, placing her hands above his, not bothering to answer.

"He might have cursed you, but you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, my love." he smirks bringing Emma closer, making her cheeks appear as red as apples.

"Baelfire, I have missed you immensely. " She too cupped his face. He smiled at the beautiful Swan.

"Well, well, well," Emma's eyes shut at the sound of that terrible voice. "You just do not learn, Dearie. Here you are, trying to steal my son away…again. This has been quite enough, little swan." She turned to find the man looking quite mortified, which was new to her.

"Father, we made a deal." Baelfire whispered.

Rumpelstiltskin looked down and then up at his son. He had indeed made a promise to Baelfire, but he simply would not fulfill it.

~Flashback~

"Father! Father! I know you're in here! How could you did this to her? Father, please help me find her! She's gone…she ran off and she's nowhere to be found." Baelfire yelled as he walked into the cabin where they used to live before the Dark One had his castle. He walked in with such force, Rumpelstiltskin felt it in his bones.

"No need to shout, my dear son." Rumpelstiltskin drawled, walking towards his son. He expected him to move away, as he always did, but he stood his ground, looking into his eyes with a mix of anger and sadness.

"Will you help me, father?" Baelfire asked, begged. The imp just looked at his son, unsure of what to say. "I know the only way to save Emma from your dark magic must be to make a deal…because as you always say, magic comes with a price." Rumple looked at him, the tiniest bit of pride rising inside him, along with the mortification of seeing what he had done to his son. If there was something Baelfire had come to hate after he had become the Dark One was magic and now he was begging for it.

For her. For the princess.

Unbelievable.

"Are you sure, Baelfire? I assure you she is not worth the trouble, my dear son. She is just a girl you found in the woods. Forget her and come home to me." The beast said, turning away from his son, thinking the conversation was over.

"No! I want to make a deal that can break Emma's curse. It's the only way you will truly have me back," The young man paused as his father turned back around. "If you break her curse, you and I will have a life together. I have found a way for us to go to a land without magic," Was Rumpelstiltskin hearing correctly? "If you break her curse, we can go to that land, where the darkness will consume you no more and we can be together, father." Just the two of them…father and son. The Dark One conjured a contract with a mere yet comical flick of his wrist.

"I shall make that deal with you, Bae…all we have to do is sign." The imp answered.

Baelfire nodded, happy that he had saved Emma from the dark spell. He took the parchment and placed it above the dining table, picking up a quill and dipping it in ink.

Just as he was about to sign his name, he looked up at his father's frightening eyes.

"If you fail to hold up your part of this…you shall lose me forever, Father. You will never see me again. Am I understood?" The young man questioned, staring into the crocodile like eyes. His father nodded.

"As clear as the water, Bae." Rumpelstiltskin said and his boy signed. He took the quill and signed right after.

The deal was struck.

~End of flashback~

"Father, she is here. It's time to hold up your end of our deal and break the curse. " Baelfire looked into Emma's eyes as he told his father this, holding her hands. What he felt for her was so inexplicable…he fell in love with such a young girl in so little time. It was young love, an illusion he wished to pursue, but he could see in her eyes that their love was not True.

Perhaps her heart was for another?

The beast looked down for he knew he would lose his son tonight. This was not part of his plan…this was never what he intended. Baelfire was madly in love with the girl he had cursed, a curse he designed to be broken by true love.

But Baelfire's love was not retured, therefore True Love's kiss would not work on Emma. Rumpelstiltskin had looked for another way to break the spell, but there simply was not.

The Dark One looked at the golden haired woman who looked at him with hate and disgust. He used magic on her, making her collapse against his son.

"What have you done?" Baelfire said, taking the woman and setting her down gently. He glared at his father as he straightened up. "We made a deal! You cannot break it!"

"I am afraid I cannot hold up my part of our deal, son." Rumpelstiltskin said regretfully. "My magic cannot break the curse…" HE hated the words, but he understood they were true. Anger consumed Baelfire, as he held the bean he had gotten from Blue, the fairy, for his eighteenth birthday.

"I told you what would happen if you failed to do this for me, Rumpelstiltskin." The use of his name made the beast stumble backwards. No! "I will use this," Baelfire said, holding up his fist. "And I will leave this forsaken place and you because you are not my father. That man died when he chose darkness over the one thing he had left: his son!"

"Bae, please! I tried to find a way, I tried to do this for you, Bae. Please, don't do this!" The Dark One begged, but his son was kneeling before the beautiful woman.

Baelfire's eyes filled with tears as he looked at his beautiful Emma. He caressed her face with his knuckles and smiled sadly.

"I love you…I think I always will, Emma." He whispered, kissing her forehead glently. "Forgive me for this." He begged, throwing the bean in the ground.

The Dark One watched as the portal opened and his son stood, never looking back and jumping into it without hesitation. Baelfire's joy now was how his father was suffering.

How could a father destroy his son's happiness? Emma was to Baelfire what Regina was to Emma; part of a happy ending, of a future.

Rumpelstiltskin called uselessly for his son and looked at the ground where the portal had been. Now he had only one hope: that his plan would work out and the love between the Swan and the Queen would be as catastrophic as he believed it would.

Rumpelstiltskin walked over to the inert princess, glaring at her. He hated her with every fiber of what he was.

"Oh, Dearie" He whispered, lowering himself on one knee. He touched her feathers, the dark ones that were reaching below her waist line. She was becoming dark, she was fulfilling his plans.

Now more than ever he needed her to do this, to become what he wanted her to become.

"You must rise for me Dark Swan." He whispered before sending her to her lake where she belonged and leaving towards his empty castle.


	11. Chapter 11

Dead

Snow White was heartbroken.

She could not believe her only friend had been raising her child. What hurt the most was that Red knew the truth; she knew that the loss of their little girl had broken their kingdom and she kept it a secret. Snow White wondered where her daughter was and how she would find their lost little girl.

Her Emma who had been cursed, her Emma who was suffering endlessly.

The King started the search for the lost princess again, sending their solders out to look in every corner of the land.

The Light Kingdom was frightened for the first execution they had had in years occurred that afternoon. A black night from the Dark kingdom watched and announced the man that had been killed worked alongside him, the man was a father and a husband. The man was Graham, the huntsman. And he was now dead, for the King and Queen had asked for his head. The black night was indulged to hear the townspeople voice their fear of Snow White becoming like her stepmother, like the Evil Queen.

Snow White steeled herself and made her way down to the dungeons for she wished to speak to Red about Emma. She had been so angry, so furious that the man's death had brought a tad of calmness to her. She felt monstrous, but she felt better.

Was this what had happened to her stepmother?

Snow was sure that her king would not be able to find Emma. She had been raised far away from them; they had no idea what their little girl looked like.

They did not know anything about this new creature Red had described…they had no idea what her daughter was.

Red could feel Snow White walking to her cell. The she-wolf was destroyed for she had lost the love of her life that same morning. She held onto her husband's possessions like her life depended on it, breathing in his scent of forest and rain and love. She wept so much her eyes were sore, her throat was hoarse and her body was trembling.

She was scared and worried sick for her pup. What would they do to her when they found her? Emma would never be the daughter of the King and Queen once she found out what they had done to her Papa. Emma would hate them and she feared Emma would be punished for it.

But she would make sure that this never happened, she would kill Snow White to ensure her daughter's safety. Snow never needed anything in her life. Shad everything anyone could ever ask for.

Why would she ruin Red's life like this? Why take her husband and now her daughter?

"Red, show yourself to the queen." Snow White said enjoying her misery.

"You will never be my queen, Snow white. My queen does not destroy families like you just did." Red snapped, getting on her feet and holding into her cell's bars, putting her face in between to look at the so called queen . "What do you desire now? You already killed my husband and locked me up in this miserable place. What could you possibly want now?" Snow White glared.

"I want my daughter back! The one you and your excuse for a husband stole from me!" Snow yelled in the other woman's face.

"SHE IS NOT YOURS, SHE IS MINE! SHE DOES NOT KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND SHE WILL NEVER LOVE YOU. NEVER!" She spat back in the queen's face. Red smiled an ugly, bitter smile as tears fell down her cheeks. "Believe me, Snow White…after what you did to her father, she will never forgive you." Red knew her husband's death was no in vain, she would make sure of this. Perhaps Emma will too and she would not have to kill the queen after all.

"I have a proposition to make, wolf." Snow looked at Red with fury in her eyes. She wanted to kill her too, but she knew she would be of more use alive.

"I want nothing from you, murderer." The wolf answered hatefully.

"Oh, but you shall have it. I want you to help me find Emma. If you do, I will spare your life. And maybe just maybe you'll get to see Emma, from a reasonable distance, of course. If you do not help me you shall be killed in the morning and your head will be on a spike next to your huntsman's." Snow White said with a small smirk full of evil. Red had not felt such hate and disgust until then. Not even for the great and terrible Evil Queen.

"I will do it." She said. "Only for my daughter." Red said getting closer to Snow's face. "because she will never be yours and when she tells you that herself, I want to be there to watch you break all. Over. Again." As hope left Snow White's eyes, Red's resolve to find her daughter grew.

This meant war and she was ready. She would find her daughter alongside the murderous King and Queen and she would walk away with Emma. That would be her revenge.

It was a beautiful starry night in the lake and Emma was happy with her little Ducky. During the day, when she was in her swan form, they spent their time together doing things as the rest did. But at night, when Emma was a woman, they would speak and Emma would indulge the little swan with caresses and songs.

As much as she tried, Emma could not be happy, she could not find hope. Baelfire was now missing and she had not seen her Queen. She missed the Queen dearly and she hated that she let her desire overtake her the last time she had come to see her.

She had asked for a kiss, a kiss she knew would save her and the woman had pressed her own lips together to keep her from doing it. She had frightened Regina and she was miserable because of it. What Regina did not know was that every time she came to see Emma, a dark feather would fall.

The Evil Queen was Emma Swan's hope and salvation.

Now her feathers had darkened so much they were beyond being counted. Baelfire and Regina had helped her lose some, but their absences had damaged the Swan much more.

Tonight, Emma sat at the edge of the lake with Ducky in her lap.

"Emma!" Ducky yelled excited to finally have the woman that she had began to love as a mother, transform in the beautiful woman she was.

"Yes, Ducky? What do you wish to do tonight? It's quite beautiful out here, huh?" Emma asked softly, picking up the little one and standing.

"Can we get out of here? We are always walking around the lake and it's getting boring, Emma." The little one told Emma, making her laugh. Ducky was also another symbol of hope in Emma's life and one laugh at a time, the feathers fell too.

Emma indulged the little swan and walked farther out of the outskirts of the lake. She walked into the royal gardens and put the little swan down so she could explore. She stopped in front of the big and fructiferous apple tree in the middle of the garden.

The same apple tree that she'd hidden behind when she saw Regina all those years ago…Until this very night she could remember the Queen and the way she had treated her, the nickname she'd given her. She smiled, remembering Her Majesty's beautiful face. Ducky looked up at the apples with longing and Emma, chuckling, plucked two out and sat on the floor next to the tree.

"Would you sing for me tonight, Emma?" The little swan asked after poking around, sitting on Emma's lap as Emma tried her best to make it easy for the swan to taste the fruit. Swans did not normally eat apples.

"Well, of course, sweetie. What would you like me to sing?" Emma's hand caressed the swan's black feathers as she waited for a response. She loved the little swan with all her heart. She had grown up too fast; she was almost as big as the others now.

"The one about your beloved." Ducky answered, her tail shaking with excitement. Emma smiled and nodded, the apples forgotten as she began to sing.

"I know there's someone somewhere someone who's sure to find me soon," Emma sang happily as she Ducky on the floor and walked around the apple tree. "After the rain goes there are rainbows. I'll find my rainbow soon, soon it won't be just pretend, Soon a happy ending. Love, can you hear me. If you're near me, sing your song. Sure and strong and soon." Emma held the note as she put her arms around herself smiling at the moon. They made their way to the lake, Emma still singing, and just stared at the moon's reflection in the water.

The Evil Queen watched and listened from her bedchambers, feeling all the happiness that Emma was feeling at that moment. Emma's voice was soothing, it was almost as if it physically calmed her. Perhaps it was because of their magical connection, but she was undeniably addicted to Emma. The Queen longed to have Emma sing and laugh and smile just like that for her. She licked her lips, wondering what it would be like to devour Emma's lips and hear Emma moan her name.

The Evil Queen was starved for the Swan Princess and she knew one day she would be hers.

"Yes, my love. I can hear you." The Queen whispered, as she Emma sing.

There were knocks on her door and she rolled her eyes as annoyance poked at her. Everyone knew not to disturb her in these hours. She was not dressed accordingly, nor did she want to deal with royal business.

There was only one person allowed to do this.

She grabbed a robe to cover her almost naked body and went to open the door.

"Daddy," She breathed as her Henry, her father appeared before her.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty…but I have news I must tell you." He said, bowing. She smiled.

"Come in, Father." She said and regretted it as he father came in and saw the images playing in her mirror. It was the third time he would find her looking at Emma and she knew he was aching to ask.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He said and she shook her head.

"Call me Regina, Daddy...you do not have to do that here." She whispered and he smiled. Emma's singing became louder and Regina was drawn to watch the woman inside her mirror.

"You love her, don't you?" Henry asked her, breaking her trance and bringing her eyes back to him. The question was simple, but the answer was loaded. What could she say to that?

She could not lie to her father…he knew her all too well and read her as he would a book.

"It matter not, Daddy…it's wrong." She whispered, waving her hand over the mirror, hesitantly making the images disappear.

"And why would that be?" He asked. "Love is love, beautiful girl." She turned to him when he said those words and he smiled when he saw the hope in her eyes. "When you love, you love deeply, my dear girl. If you love her, your love is true. Why are you depriving yourself of happiness?" She shook her head.

"You do not understand, Father. Emma is just a girl, months away from coming of age, she's cursed…and she's….well, she's a woman." Her father gave her a look.

"Regina, she looks pretty much like a woman to me and if you have fallen for her and she for you, she must be ready to pursue her happiness as well. As for the curse, it can be broken. And her being a woman is not an obstacle…and pardon my saying this, but it did not stop you before with Mal—"

"Enough, Daddy." She said sternly and he looked down to keep a smile from her. She shook her head at the old man and his daring ways. "Why did you come here? It's rather late, there must be a reason other than to discuss things that are not your business." She said with a grin.

He smiled too, shortly, remembering why he was there.

"Well, since you asked about your huntsman today, I had your knights look for him. One of them came back from his duty at the Light kingdom and told us something you will not like very much." The Queen narrowed her eyes.

"Well, go on." She rushed.

"He said your huntsman was executed by the Light kingdom after being imprisoned along with his wife, the wolf called Red." Regina's eyes widened.

What?

"The only one who kills my men is me!" She said furiously. "Snow White's gone rogue, I see…that excuse for a queen keeps giving me reasons to have her head on a spike!"

"They apparently found out about their child being raised by the couple and are now furious…they must have guards looking for her anew." The Queen nodded.

"Yes, that's exactly what happened." She whispered, looking around, plotting. She could almost feel her sword go through Snow White and James' heads, could almost hear their heads roll down the steps to her thrown and hear the blood pour out of their bodies.

And then it hit her.

Emma.

Her father was killed and around this time she had the swans tell her how her family was.

She would be in so much pain…

"I shall go catch up on rest. Have a good night's sleep, my dear girl. I shall see you in the morning." Henry said, kissing his daughter's cheek.

"Night, Daddy." She whispered, and then sat on her bed, not knowing how to face Emma with this new information. She had thought about going to see her, but now…now she did not what to do.

Emma sat on the edge of the lake's waters and awaited the swans that made their way to her.

Something was off tonight…they were too slow, too hesitant to approach her and when they did, their heads were bowed. Not respectfully, but sadly.

"What has happened? Did you find out where Bae is? Is he dead?" She asked, her eyes filling with tears at the possibility.

"No, Your Highness…but another great tragedy has happened…Your mother and father were imprisoned by the King and Queen of the Light kingdom." Emma gasped, her hand going to her heart, hoping it would ease the pain.

"No," she whispered.

"And your father…he was…" the swan's neck bowed and he did not finish his sentence. Emma's tears fell already, fearing what he had to say.

"What happened to him?" She whispered as Ducky pressed her head into her hip in hopes of easing her pain.

"He…he was executed this morning, Your Highness." She stopped breathing and pain like she had never felt before overtook her.

"No! NO! WHO DID THIS TO HIM?!" She sobbed, frightening the swans that stood before her. "ANSWER ME! I WANT THEIR NAMES!"

"The King and Queen, Your Highness. King James and Queen Snow White." One of them answered.

"James and Snow White," She whispered, knowing she'd heard of them before and remembering the woman she had met as a child. She stood and stumbled into a body she knew all too well.

"Regina," she sobbed, not bothering to look before wrapping her arms around the woman's neck.

"It's okay, my love." The Queen whispered. Emma cried into her neck, the smell of apples and cinnamon and vanilla invading her senses. She held on, while her body shook violently with the sadness that consumed her.

"I will kill them." Emma said against the Queen's wet skin. "I will kill them!" She repeated.

And then Regina felt it, the darkness creeping into her heart, as it was happening to Emma. She looked down and saw as more feathers darkened, along with her heart.

This was not good.

"No, Miss Swan. Look at me." Regina demanded, holding her arms and pulling her body away. She looked into Emma's red, tearful eyes. "I will avenge you, if that's what you want. I will do it." Emma enjoyed how the Queen's hands felt on her cheeks as she wiped her tears away. She closed her eyes and her hands reached for the woman's waist to pull her closer.

"You know." Emma whispered, opening her eyes and looking into the beautiful brown depths in front of her. "You know who I am, otherwise you would not have known he was my father and who I want dead." The Queen stopped her movements and looked into the breathtaking green eyes she dreamt of at night.

"Perhaps." The Queen whispered, taking the Swan's face more forcefully. "But I will avenge you. Snow White took someone from me and I thought she had learned her lesson…but now…now she's hurt you." Regina said with a fierceness in her eyes that had not been there before. "Now she will know pain."

Red sat in her cell, still clutching her husband's clothes, wishing he were there to soothe her pain, but he was not. He was not and he never would again.

Tears fell lazily down her cheeks as her head wandered and she thought of her daughter. Emma would be so destroyed to hear that her father was dead…how would she tell her pup her father had been killed?

How did she explain this to her?

Red wiped at her tears as she conjured good memories of her daughter to drown out the dark thoughts.

Yes, this was it. She would think about the good things to take away the bad.

She remembered those nights when Graham was gone and Emma felt fear; how she would sing her a song to help her fall asleep. Emma just loved the song of the beloved. She would fall asleep with the most beautiful smile on her face.

Red started to sing with tears once again pooling in her eyes.

"I know there's someone. Somewhere, someone's sure to find her soon. After the rain goes there are rainbows. She'll find her rainbow soon, soon my breaking heart will mend. Soon a happy ending. Troubles behind her, I will find her. Homeward bound, safe and sound and soon."

She finished the song with a sad smile as she hugged her husband's clothes and remembered their wonderful times together.


	12. Chapter 12

Plans

As the soft, orange glow of the morning sunrise peeked through the bedchamber window, Snow White awoke from her sleep with a newfound hope of finding her daughter. For the first time in years, it actually seemed possible that the timeless search for her daughter would come to an end. She felt her being fill with joy at the thought of finally reuniting with her daughter. However, it quickly faded as she recalled the betrayal of Red, someone who she once considered a friend. Consumed by rage, Snow White sprung out of bed and called to her guards, demanding that they release Red from her temporary cell and bring her to the court room. She then sat down on her thrown and put her mind at ease by recalling the memory of the Graham's execution. Snow White was comforted by the fact that Red was now experiencing the same pain that she faced after Emma was taken from her. She asked herself if this was how her step mother felt when she finally got her way. Does revenge always feel this good? Yes, it must. She felt proud that she robbed Red of the happy life she always envisioned and couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of Red in despair over her dead husband.

"Kneel for the queen," Snow said as Red walked into to the throne room.

Red stood in the center of the room with her hands balled into fists at her sides. Her red, tear-rimmed eyes glared up at Snow. All compassion that she once felt for the queen was gone, replaced by intense hatred and an emptiness that could never be filled. "You will never be my queen," she replied, earning a slap across the face.

"Never speak to me like that. I am indeed your queen and you will bring me to Princess Emma, my daughter," Snow shouted as she looked down at Red with disgust.

"I will gladly bring you to her! I can't wait to see the look on your face when she kills you for murdering her father." Red said this with a smile. She knew that Emma would never feel any affection for Snow after what she did to her father and was confident that Emma's magic was so much stronger than that of the evil queen.

"We shall start looking for her this afternoon, wolf." Snow didn't dare look at the wolf, knowing full well that Red was right. But she didn't care. She was determined to locate her daughter and convinced herself that she helped Emma by killing Graham. She saw it as the only way to restore her family.

"We shall find MY daughter near the dark castle." Red knew exactly where her daughter was, but the dark castle was protected. Although Red was aware that it was nearly impossible to get near the dark castle, she was willing to take the risk- even if it meant dying in the process-because it was for her daughter.

"Regina's castle," Snow said as she carefully analyzed the situation. She could feel the thudding of her heartbeat intensify as she recalled the falling out she had with the evil queen. They haven't seen or spoken to each other in many years.

"Indeed." Red could sense Snow's panic as she looked at her face. Her thin, wispy eyebrows were raised causing the slight creases of her forehead to furrow. She was in a daze, her glossy eyes staring blankly at the distance as she delved into the depths of her memory. With a smile, Red mocked, "Better call your mommy so you can ask her if you can enter her castle without being killed by her." She couldn't help but laugh as Snow White snapped out of her daze and looked at her with a death glare.

"She was never my mother," Snow snapped. The words "my mother" barely escaped her breath as she parted her lips in reply to Red. She was left with a bitter taste in her mouth as she referred to Regina as her mother.

"Indeed, just like you will never be Emma's mother." Red smiled again as she was led out of the room in preparation to look for her pup. "Soon, Goldie, we will be reunited." With a final grin, she took off her cape and and transformed into her wolf form.

Regina couldn't bear to leave Emma alone after the shocking news the princess just received. She gently stroked Emma's golden locks as she let her princess sleep peacefully in her embrace. Her eyes remained fixed on Emma as she noticed that some of her black feathers fell silently to the ground, replaced by white ones. While she slept, Regina observed the way Ducky would gaze affectionately at Emma. She spent the entire night watching over the woman and the little black swan, like her entire world revolved around this woman.

"Ducky?"

The little swan slightly turned her head to look at the queen, hesitantly taking her attention away from Emma. She waddled over towards Regina and mounted her lap where Emma's head lay. "Yes, your majesty."

Ducky made herself comfortable by nestling in Emma's golden mane, brushed by the moon's iridescent glow.

"Tell me, Ducky. What does Emma do all day and night after I come and visit her?" The queen patted Ducky's little, dark head and smiled as the soft, fuzzy feathers lightly brushed against the crevices of her fingers. She looked at Ducky longingly with her piercing hazel eyes, anxiously awaiting an answer.

"In the day and night, she is my mommy." Ducky's tail fluttered vigorously as she told the queen of how Emma was her swan mommy. Regina could sense the fondness Ducky felt for Emma through the rhythm of her movements and excitement in her sweet, little voice. "Every night she sings for me and tells me tales of a queen that was once dark who became a white queen with a little bit of love."

"Does she now?" Regina's eyes shifted toward her princess and she let out a little smile. A new warmth filled her body as she imagined Emma sharing her story and singing to her. "She has a very nice voice. I wish she would sing for me." She again felt the love this little creature felt for Emma and was thankful that Emma had Ducky and Ducky had Emma.

"She only sings to the one she loves the most. She sings the song of the beloved," Ducky says in a matter of fact tone.

"Does she now?" Regina again smiled to herself as she looked at the woman that lay in her lap. She felt soothed by the gentle rise and fall of Emma's chest against her own as she took each breath. However, she could sense the pain of Emma's broken, dark heart and noticed the tear stains on Emma's cheeks. Her always white gown was now almost dark, indicating her loss of hope. She was dying already.

"Ducky, what will happen if Emma dies? What would happen to you?" Regina asked with concern.

"I will go swim with the other dark swans, without any care of life." Ducky snuggles against her queen. "But my Goldie would never leave me. She promised." With those words, Ducky began to drift asleep.

The queen couldn't leave the two of them in there so she transported them to her bedchambers. She gently placed a blanket over Emma's motionless body and tucked her into bed. She was determined to keep an eye on her princess and did so until the day started to appear. Regina watched in awe as she saw the beautiful princess transform into the beautiful swan. As the rays of light reflected against her soft, glowing skin, an orderly array of delicate feathers began to appear. After watching Emma fully embody her swan form, Ducky happily ran to her, hiding inside of her right wing. The swan hugged Ducky, protecting the little swan from any harm. This scene reminded Regina of a time when a little Snow White would run to her room after a nightmare, looking for motherly comfort, and Regina would give it to her.

As Regina's thoughts became louder, they were interrupted by the intensity of someone's eyes on her. She tilted her head up to find that Emma was looking directly at her. As they locked eyes, Regina noticed a new dark feather fall from the swan's body. She smiled and walked to the swan, placing a soft kiss on her dark head.

"How are you feeling, swan?" Regina asked her, fully knowing that the swan wouldn't be able to respond. With just one look, Regina realized that she understood the swan more than the swan understood herself.

Emma looked at the queen with sad eyes, remembering the pain she felt from the loss of her father. The swan gracefully lowered her head and held Ducky against her chest, guarding the baby swan as she slept. What appeared to be a single teardrop slid gracefully down the swan's face and fell to the floor with a thud. She knew she had to hold back her tears and be strong for her little Ducky.

"You are her mother Emma, and I am proud of that. Of you."

Emma couldn't help it as a surge of happiness filled her body. She used her mouth to remove one of her dark feathers and gave it to the queen. The queen couldn't believe what she saw. A white feather appeared in the place of the dark feather that the swan had just plucked from her body. The queen then noticed the special way in which the swan bowed to her. She looked at the swan for a couple of minutes and she understood.

She was Emma's only hope.

"Are you sure the princess is close?" Snow shouted to Red.

The wolf just kept walking, ignoring the presence of the queen that she now hated. She knew her daughter was close and that they would be there in a day or two.

Snow really wanted to see her daughter as she was about to turn 18 tomorrow. " _How time flies_ ," she thought to herself. She couldn't help but try to picture what her daughter would look like. Was she a beautiful, blonde teenager? Or maybe a dark haired girl? Did she resemble James or did she look more like herself? She imagined a perfect embrace, a perfect mother and daughter reunion moment. However, she knew in her heart that Emma would never see her as her mother.

As Snow followed Red, she saw how concentrated she was. It was obvious to Snow that Emma became Red's daughter and she could see the connection that they had. Regret filled Snow's mind as she realized that Emma would never love her after what she had done to her father.

Minutes and hours passed and the night had fallen. The stars shined brightly overhead, glistening with life as a chilling breeze pierced through the air. All was quiet. Everything motionless, except for their own footsteps which echoed throughout the forest. The wolf led the queen to her once sweet home, where she shared so many good memories with her family. Now, that was taken away from her, never to return. As the queen and her army grew tired, Red decided to let them sleep while she guarded the house. She knew that her daughter loved her and only her so she was not afraid of losing her to Snow.

Goldie locks was her daughter, not Snow's.

"Come along, Ducky." After Emma's encounter with the queen in the morning, she ran around the castle with Ducky. Though she hadn't seen the queen since morning, she wanted to explore every corner of the castle. She had a childlike innocence as she roamed each corridor, her laughter echoing against the stone, cold castle walls. Regina could see the beautiful girl running with her little swan behind her. She felt a sudden sense of responsibility to protect this girl.

Emma continued running, laughing as Ducky tried aimlessly to keep up with her. She was much faster than Ducky since her somewhat longer legs allowed her to cover a greater distance with a smaller amount of steps.

"Ducky, hurry up!" Emma shouted, slowing down a little so Ducky could catch up. Ducky's little legs made it very difficult for her to keep up with Emma's pace.

"Coming your majesty." Emma started running again once Ducky caught up.

"Ducky how many times do I have to tell you to call me ….oh ouch that hurt." Emma crashed into a strong, sturdy body. A pair of muscular arms grasped her by the waist and lifted her off the ground in attempt to protect her from any harm.

"Oh god, that was close. Are you okay, my lady?"

Emma recognized that familiar voice instantly. She knew right away that it was her uncle August. Upon looking at his face, she was greeted by his familiar radiant smile. His white teeth glistened as he opened his mouth to speak, enhancing the definition of his chiseled jawline. His face still had the same unshaven texture that she remembered. It had been so long since the last time she saw him. Oh how much she had missed all the games they played and the secrets they exchanged. He was never the same after Belle's accident, even though he tried his best to never change with Emma.

"Are you alright my lady? Are you hurt in any way?" August asked as he helped Emma stand up. She looked at him and couldn't help but admire how handsome he was.

"Your majesty!" Ducky came running to her mommy. "Are you okay? Are you harmed?" Emma looked at Ducky, kneeled, and held the swan close to her cheek.

"I am fine my dear and my name is Swan or Goldie, remember." Emma smiled at her Ducky as she kissed her little swan's dark head.

"Swan, that's a beautiful and odd name to have," said August. He had a hard time holding a conversation with the little swan as he was transfixed on the woman. His mind could only focus on the beauty that she possessed. He found it fascinating that she had the same name as his little niece, Emma; especially because naming a child Emma was banned by Snow White.

"Tell that to my parents," she replied, smiling at her uncle who was completely unaware of who she was. She put Ducky down.

"Care to join me for a walk? It is the least I could do for almost harming your beauty." Emma blushed. She nodded with approval and walked beside August and Ducky.

She was happy that she could talk to her uncle about nothing and everything, free of judgement. She told him about Baelfire and her best friend Lilith, the daughter of the fearless Maleficent. His presence made her feel at home, a feeling she hadn't experienced for a very long time. August told her about how he was in love with one of the maids from the dark kingdom. Belle, her nanny. Emma knew August had been trying to win over Belle for the longest time, but he lost hope when she was kidnapped. Years later, she reappeared on the side of the road without any memory. She walked to the dark palace and had been living there ever since then. August told Emma everything that had happened between Belle and him, but he knew it wasn't love.

"She is as distant as a star." August smiled at Emma as they entered the royal gardens.

"Maybe someday you'll find someone worth living for." Emma smiled at him and then looked at the swan in her arms sleeping.

The queen could not bear it any longer. She noticed how her soldier had been looking at her precious Emma and she would not tolerate it. The queen transported herself to the royal gardens in search for Emma and her soldier.

"Princess Swan."

Emma looked at the queen and smiled brightly. "Regina!" She ran to the queen and hugged her firmly. Regina couldn't help but hug the beautiful swan tightly, pulling her as close to her body as she could. She felt a special connection from their embrace and she knew that Emma was no one's but hers.

"My sweet princess I have been looking for you." The queen had some news for her precious princess and made Emma look directly into her hazel eyes.

"I am aware you will be 18 tomorrow. I want to celebrate with a ball because I know how much you like to have fun." The queen only had eyes for the princess and had nearly forgotten about the soldier's presence.

"Really, Regina? A ball for me? Thank you Gina!" Emma hugged the queen again, even tighter than before. Ducky rubbed her little head against the queen's cheek, too.

The soldier was confused as he looked at the interaction that the queen had with the princess. He had never seen or heard of this before. The queen looked happy and seemed to really care for the beautiful princess. He hoped this beautiful swan could melt the icy heart of the queen.


	13. Chapter 13

Invited

The queen lowered herself to the ground and sat next to her precious princess. Her heart thumped in her chest as she shifted closer and closer to her dear Emma. Her entire body could barely hold itself together with the anticipation of the ball that would soon take place. Regina placed her hand on Emma's shoulder and started to tell her about all of her preparations for the ball. Excitement and adrenaline ran through her veins as she explained the details of the party. Everything had to be perfect. She wanted everything to be as graceful as her swan, as beautiful as her princess.

"I think that a mixture of white and red roses would work perfectly together," Regina said to Emma.

"What about white, red, and black roses? While the white rose symbolizes innocence and purity, the black rose symbolizes maturity, darkness, and death. Remember, I'm not an innocent little girl anymore," Emma emphasized as she gazed at Regina's full, red lips, not caring that August was looking. Her body slowly drifted closer to her queen, their faces only inches apart. Emma could feel the queen's warm breath brushing against her skin as she exhaled deeply.

"What do red roses symbolize, Miss Swan?" Regina asked faintly while looking intently at the princess' pale, pink lips.

"They symbolize passion, my queen," Emma replied as she bit her lip and looked directly into the queen's eyes.

Regina tried to turn away, but was overcome with desire at the sight of her beautiful princess. She longed to mark Emma as her property. She wanted to lock her up in her bedchamber so no one else could see her. No one but her.

Emma, on the other hand, wanted to kiss the queen so badly. Her lower lip quivered as she imagined what it would feel like to press the queen's luscious lips against her own. She wished she could run her hand down the queen's body and touch every inch of her. Emma wanted her queen. Why couldn't she express her love for the queen? Everyone assumed that the queen had a heart as cold as ice when, in reality, her heart was full of love and passion. Emma squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from the queen's gaze.

"Regina can you do me a favor?" Emma asked as she tried to focus on anything other than those full, red lips.

"If it is in my hands, so be it. What is it that you desire, my swan?" Regina asked as she looked at both the princess and the little swan.

"I wish that my mom and my best friend Lilith would be able to attend this ball. Although my papa cannot be there, I would feel so much better if they could come. I want to see them." Emma hugged Ducky close to her, afraid of how the queen would react. She glanced up at the ceiling, hoping that Regina would consider her request.

"If that's what you desire, then that's what you shall have." Regina's mouth curved into a sincere smile.

"Really Gina? Are you sure you are capable of such a request?" Emma looked at the queen with those big doe eyes. No matter how grown up Emma thought she was, Regina still saw the innocence in her. She wanted that innocence for herself. She was selfish with her little swan.

"Oh sweetheart you have no idea what I am capable of," Regina responded in a sultry tone. Her eyes glistened as she looked seductively at her swan.

"I am dying to find out." Emma looked at the queen with a daring smile. There was a long pause as they both stared at each other, daring the other to make a move. As always, time stood still when their eyes met. Those hazel, brown orbs interlocked with those emerald, green ones and the world around them seemed to disappear for just this instant.

Snow and Red had been waiting for hours, trying to find a way to enter the heavily guarded castle. They could not come up with a plan to get past the queen's soldiers, let alone break the magical protection spell surrounding the castle. Out of ideas, the ex-friends finally sat down near each other, contemplating life and looking at the stars. They waited patiently for a sign, hoping that perhaps some miracle would provide them with an answer of what to do.

"Tell me about her, wolf," Snow said coldly to Red, waiting to hear more about her daughter and the life that she never had the chance to experience.

"What do you want to know?" Red loved talking about Emma, even if it meant conversing with Snow White. She couldn't help but boast about her because Emma was her pride and joy.

"Tell me what her favorite smell was?" Snow wanted to know about all the little details she missed out on. She wanted so badly to be a part of Emma's life and tried to learn as much as she could about her distant daughter.

"She loved everything that had to do with apples. Their smell. Their taste. Once, she even described the sensation of biting into an apple as a splash in her mouth, like a sweet tide against her taste buds." Red answered Snow without a hint of doubt.

"Like Regina," Snow uttered.

"Oh, Emma loved hearing stories about Regina. She used to sneak into the castle all the time…with her father," Red muttered with a tone of sadness as she remembered that she would never again feel her husband's embrace. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she tried to fight the hurt she kept bottled up inside. Snow felt a sudden sense of shame for causing Red's pain.

"What else?" Snow listened carefully.

"Emma loves to sing, and she is definitely not ladylike let me tell you that. She does not like dresses and refuses to wear them, with the exception of important occasions. Pants and a t-shirt is her go to outfit. She is skilled with a sword and is so good with following trails. She got that from me, from her mother," Red said proudly. She smiled ear to ear as she waited for a reaction from Snow.

It never came.

The next morning, Regina made sure that the two swans were well taken care of in her bedchambers. She made a little pool in her gold plated bathtub for the swans to pass the time in. Meanwhile, the queen was excited to start making arrangements for the ball. Every time the queen's servants approached Regina for her approval, all she would say was, "It has to be smooth and graceful, like a swan."

Everyone was noticing the sudden change in the queen's behavior. She was unlike her normal self. With a positive attitude and a hint of excitement, she ordered the servants to spread word of the ball. All the princesses and princes, all the queens and kings shall be invited. Most importantly, one of her most loyal servants had a special invitation to deliver.

"Belle dear, follow me." The queen guided a silent Belle along a long, narrow corridor. "My dear Belle, I have a very important job for you today."

"I am at your service, your majesty," Belle replied as she observed the corners of the queen's mouth curve into a smile. Regina was beaming and her whole face lit up. This was the first time she had ever seen the queen smile. In fact, no one had ever seen the queen smile; well, not a sincere smile at least.

"You must pay a visit to your dear friend, the wolf, and tell her that a ball will be taking place here at my castle. She must know that all the queens and princesses are to be invited. Now, off you go little one and don't keep wasting my time," Regina said, grinning at Belle.

Belle was so happy to finally see her friend, Red. She had missed her immensely. Since her kidnapping, she had lost more than three years worth of memories. Where was her little Goldie locks? What was her life like? What had happened to her? Where was her father and siblings?

Belle ran as fast as she could to the house that she so vividly remembered. Her Goldie locks would always be waiting there with an empty stomach and a huge appetite. This was a memory that Belle never lost from the days where she would visit the little family every morning. She ran and ran until she finally saw that familiar little house.

"RED! RED! Darling, where are you?" Belle shouted with happiness, trying to look for her best friend. She thought to herself _if not best friends, perhaps something more._

"BELLE? For goodness sakes, you're here!" Red ran full speed to her friend and hugged her tightly, pulling her into her body. She missed the little brunette.

"Oh Red, how I have missed you! I have an important message for you, my dear friend. The queen has requested your presence at a ball that will be held tonight at her castle. All queens, kings, and their heirs are invited to celebrate Princess Swan, for she has finally come of age and is eligible to rule the dark kingdom."

"I didn't know Regina selected someone to rule her kingdom." Snow mumbled behind Red. After she heard all the commotion that Belle and Red had made, she walked over and greeted Belle saying, "Hello, Belle."

"Hi," Belle replied, looking at Snow with a pitiful smile. "As I was saying, the Queen wants you there with all of the guests."

Red opened her mouth in protest, but stopped herself before speaking. She wondered why the queen would want her presence tonight. It didn't matter though because that would be her way of entering the castle. Maybe that was the sign she was looking for. "We shall be there," Red replied as she hugged her dearest friend goodbye and watched her leave.

"We?" Snow asked.

"Oh, don't worry. I haven't forgiven you. Like I said, I want to see you break when you see my daughter back in my arms and not yours."

"My dear, Maleficent. What a nice surprise. I assume you received my letter?" Regina asked, not looking up from her royal desk while she performed her queenly duties.

"My daughter has permission to attend the ball, but with one condition my dear." Maleficent observed the body of the queen that she once possessed. She knew that she could still get Regina to have a little fun with her.

"You should pay me a visit again, like old times. I think it would be quite lovely having you under my sheets." Maleficent looked at Regina hungrily as she moved closer to her.

"My dear Maleficent, I thought you decided to stop doing those visits, remember. You decided to stop once your daughter was born. Though it does sound quite lovely, I must say that I would have to think about it first."

"That is alright, my dear. I know you wouldn't be able to resist a night of pure passion with the Dragon Queen, would you?"

Regina smiled, watching Maleficent disappear. Surely she couldn't deny a night of passion. Well she COULD deny a night of passion with the dragon, but not with her sweet swan. A rough night of passion indeed.

Rumple couldn't help but spy on the queen all day. He saw joy growing in Regina's cold heart.

"Oh deary, love is weakness."


	14. Chapter 14

Emma

Regina walked towards the bedchamber where she knew that Emma was awaiting anxiously before her ball. With each stride, her mind became more clear, as if the dwindling physical distance between her and Emma had now become an emotional chasm. As she ascended the marble staircase, she paused to close her eyes and take in a deep breath, calming herself before meeting with her precious princess. She couldn't help but think of what her future held from here on in, especially her future with Emma. She grinned and continued walking with a newfound bounce in her step. As she approached Emma's bedchamber, she gently turned the doorknob and opened the door to find little Ducky dragging her favorite skin-tight, red dress across the room.

"What do you think you're doing?" Regina shouted as she folded her arms across her chest and looked directly at Ducky with her piercing gaze.

Ducky stared blankly at Regina and then back at the extravagant dress that she held. Ducky slowly opened her mouth, releasing her grasp on the dress, until it fell to the floor. Then, she ran over to Emma and hid her face beneath her feathers. Emma picked Ducky up and pressed her protectively to her chest, forming a barrier around her.

"What is the meaning of this?" Regina asked, looking to Emma for an explanation.

Emma peered up at Regina and started to giggle uncontrollably.

Even though the queen kept her cold façade, she could feel her icy heart melting at the sound of Emma's giggles. As she picked up her dress, Regina stated firmly, "I was going to wear this one tonight, Emma."

Emma still couldn't stop the giggles that were escaping her body, leading Ducky to join in on the laughing. Emma finally got a hold of herself and with a smile responded, "Personally, my queen, I prefer the blue one with the low backline." Emma searched for the dress in the queen's wardrobe and pleaded, "Please, do wear it tonight." She then handed it to Regina.

"What about you, dear?" With the flick of her wrist, Regina was ready, fully donned in the blue dress that her princess requested.

Emma could not look away as she admired the queen's beauty. The dress so perfectly hugged Regina's body in all the right places, accentuating her hourglass figure. It highlighted her small waist and heightened her hips. Delicate lace covered the shoulders of the dress and followed down the neckline.

Emma loved that body, and most of all those full blood-red lips. She wanted to kiss them. As her cheeks began to flush, Emma turned her gaze from the queen and looked intently at herself in the mirror. "I look like a mess," Emma muttered quietly. She looked down, feeling ashamed of herself.

Regina understood the nerves Emma was feeling as she remembered how she felt during her own first ball. Now, it was Emma's turn and the first time she would appear as a princess. Her princess. Regina wrapped her arm around Emma's waist and led her to the vanity across the room. She made Emma sit down and tried to comfort her. Emma kept her head down while Regina brushed her lengthy golden locks.

"When I was younger, I felt like you, my Sweet Swan."

Emma's eyes widened as she looked at Regina, fascinated that she was sharing a little bit of her life with her.

"My mom would always make me wear dresses even though all I really wanted was to ride and be with…" Regina abruptly stopped herself mid sentence, lost in her thoughts as she held Emma's golden hair. She snapped out of her daze and told Emma, "Here, I am going to give you your present." Regina opened one of the vanity drawers and pulled out a crown decorated with white flowers. She placed it on Emma's head. With the flick of her wrist, Regina transformed Emma's feather dress into a red and white ball gown.

"Now you look like a true princess."

Emma looked at herself and smiled. She did look like a princess. She was the pure innocence that the heart of the queen needed. Why was it so hard to make Regina understand?

"I love my flower crown, Regina. Thank you." Emma smiled as Ducky softly tugged on the bottom of Regina's dress, attempting to get her attention.

"And where's my crown Regina?" Ducky looked at Regina with wide eyes.

Regina walked back to her vanity, and grabbed her engagement ring from her previous marriage. She placed it on Ducky's head. "You are a princess tonight, Ducky," Regina said with a smile.

Ducky started to run around the room happily as Emma laughed watching her.

"You really do love this little bundle of joy, huh?" Regina asked while looking at Emma's beautiful, smiling face.

"She is my daughter. What else can I say? Come, Ducky, it's time." Ducky hurried over to Emma and stood beside her.

"Ready, Swan?" Regina held out her hand, waiting for Emma to take it.

"Ready, Regina." Emma took the hand of the queen. They walked hand-in-hand and gradually moved towards the ballroom.

Ducky observed the scene of how her Emma had taken hold of the former queen's hand. They tenderly grasped each other in a loving way, reassuring each other like lovers.

Maybe there was still hope for her Goldie.

"May I present to you Queen Regina and Princess Swan, the next heir to the thrown."

Cheers echoed off of the castle walls as the crowd welcomed their new princess. Everyone in the ballroom was overjoyed to meet the young woman that would be the next ruler of the Dark Kingdom. As Regina and Emma made their way around the ballroom, gasps could be heard from the guests. They were overcome by the beauty that the Princess Swan possessed. Every prince in the entire kingdom anxiously waited in line, hoping to meet the princess and win her over.

Regina looked around the ballroom to see if the mom of the former princess had arrived, but she got distracted when she noticed Lilith making her way through the sea of people. She walked over to her and touched her shoulder to get her attention.

"Goldie is over there, Lilith. I know she'll be delighted to see you," Regina said as she pointed in the direction that Lilith should go.

"Thank you for taking care of my best friend, your majesty. She is really important to me." Without warning, Lilith hugged Regina and placed a kiss on her cheek. "My mom was right. You're not that bad." Lilith giggled and ran to where she could find Emma.

Regina could not help thinking, "Am I going soft? Oh, hell no."

"Goldie!" Lilith ran to her best friend and hugged her with her whole being. "I missed you so much!" Lilith's words were barely audible as she cried into Emma's shoulder and clung to her. She was never one to cry or show her emotions, but she really did miss her best friend.

"Lilith, please don't cry." Emma squeezed her tightly and pulled her into her embrace, enjoying the familiar sensation of sisterly love. "Tell me, Lilith, how have you been? You are so gorgeous! How old are you now? Eighteen?" Emma asked, letting go of her friend.

"I am good and yes I'm 18. I am only older by months, Goldie, not years," she laughed. As she wiped away her tears, she noticed a baby swan right next to Emma. "Who is that?" Lilith asked as she pointed to Ducky.

"This is Ducky. She is my baby swan." Emma looked lovingly at Ducky. She was proud of the life that she had given her. Although she was suffering, it was worth it because at least she was able to do right by Ducky. In this moment, she realized that all her hopes lie in Regina and Ducky.

Lilith and Emma started talking about all the years they missed in each others lives, trying to catch up with one another. Emma decided not to tell Lilith about all the intimate moments she shared with the queen because she was afraid to admit that their brewing romance was helping her have hope again. In the meantime, Ducky ran happily around the ballroom. Every time she saw people having fun, her little tail would move. This happened most often when she looked at her Goldie, smiling and laughing. She was happy. That's all that mattered.

Emma and Lilith laughed as they both noticed two handsome gentlemen walking their way. One of the men had ocean blue eyes. He was wearing too much leather for Lilith's liking, but Emma felt drawn to him, taken aback by his eyes that were set on her. Emma noticed that he hid one of his hands from view, intensifying her curiosity regarding this dark and strange man in front of her. The other person standing next to leather guy was the one and only Robin Hood. His looks were even greater in person and Lilith was fascinated by him. She wanted to dance with him all night. She didn't care that he could get arrested at any moment.

"Hello, your highness. It's a pleasure meeting such beautiful creature on this fine night." The man wearing the black leather said this as he bowed in front of Emma. She could not help but blush as she felt the heated way which this gentleman was looking at her.

"Hello, kind sir. Thank you for accepting the invitation to my ball," Emma replied.

"Princess, would you be so kind as to honor me with your first dance of the night?" His eyes twinkled as he gave a charming smile to Emma. She blushed and took his open hand.

He guided the princess to the dance floor and swayed with her in his arms. He could tell that dancing was not her strong suit, but did not care. He was overwhelmed by the beauty that this little swan had. That was the name of the princess, right? She would be his distraction for the night. He thought to himself, "What a pretty, blonde distraction she is. A fine piece of meat, indeed."

"So, what's your name little princess? Is it really Swan?" The man asked as he looked Emma up and down, analyzing her body with a hungry look that made her feel uncomfortable.

"My name is actually Goldie locks, but the queen gave me the name Swan because she loves how graceful my beauty is. She thought it would be perfect when she decided to make me the heir of the thrown," Emma said this as she tried to ignore the way this man was looking at her. She was so uncomfortable that she could feel her hands start to shake. Perhaps she was overthinking and it was just her imagination. Trying to pull herself together, she asked, "What's your name kind sir? I am afraid you haven't mentioned it."

"My name, Princess, is Killian Jones. But I enjoy when people address me by my more colorful name, Hook. At your service," he said, showing her for the first time his hook.

"As in the Captain Hook?" Emma said impressed by him. He was the villain of all the stories her father used to tell her before she would go to sleep. He actually was not bad looking, but then again Regina does not look evil even though people still think she is. Maybe he is just misunderstood. Just like her Queen is.

"So you heard about me, Princess?"

Emma rolled her eyes while smiling and they both kept dancing.

Meanwhile, Robin Hood spent time talking to Lilith. He was actually enjoying her company, but he could not take his eyes off the beautiful, dark queen that seemed to only have eyes for the princess.

Regina watched her beautiful princess having fun with all of her friends from the distance. However, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but worry because Red had not arrived at the party yet. Trying to focus on her Swan, she watched as the blonde danced with the pirate. The way he looked at her made Regina's blood boil. She longed to kill him, take his heart, and rip it out of his chest until it ached. Regina finally decided to make her way over to the princess while she danced with her best friend, Lilith. They were both laughing so hard that tears welled up in the blonde's eyes. Regina was so happy to see that Emma was having a great time with her best friend.

As Regina got closer, she heard Lilith asked Emma, "Have you seen Baelfire, Goldie? He was helping us look for you when he disappeared out of nowhere." The genuine concern in Lilith's voice was indisguisable. Apparently, she appreciated Baelfire more than she let on.

"I did see him, but only for a minute. Then, he just disappeared. I have no idea where he is," Emma replied. Her voice was soft, and a bit strained. She stared down at the floor for a long moment, lost in thought.

"She really likes this Baelfire guy, huh" thought Regina. Emma noticed the queen approaching and ran to her, delighted to see her again. Regina was her hope, her everything, and Emma was everything to Regina. Emma took Regina's hands and brought her body closer to her. She wrapped her arms around the queen, enveloping her in a hug. Regina suddenly felt all the happiness that Emma was feeling in that moment and she couldn't help but smile and kiss the beautiful princess' forehead.

"May I have this dance, Princess?" the queen asked as she held out her hand. Emma giggled loudly and took Regina's hand.

"Of course, my queen," Emma answered. The corners of her mouth curved into a smile as she looked hard at the queen.

Both of the women started to glide across the dance floor, smiling ear to ear. The world seemed to stop as they gazed into each others eyes. Emma held the queen even closer to her body, their chests pressed together. The queen took the liberty of burying her face deep in Emma's neck, enjoying the feeling of having her Emma, her innocent Emma, in the palace so close to her. The queen was comforted by the familiar scent of vanilla coming from her princess. The sweet smell filled the air around her. For a brief moment, the queen lifted her head to see that gorgeous smile that Emma reserved solely for her and Ducky.

Red and Snow walked to the gates of the dark castle. They agreed that this was the perfect time to go to the castle since the guards that protect the queen would be obligated to let them enter for the ball. Snow felt elated that she was finally going to be face-to-face with Emma, her daughter. This was a moment that she had been imagining for quite some time.

"Shall you call, Blue?" Red said as her pace heightened with every step. She could sense it, that magical smell that she knew too well. Emma. Her Emma was near.

"What for, Wolf?" Snow retorted as she tried to keep up with the brunette. She noticed that Red's eyes flickered with a slight yellow hue with every step she took towards the castle.

"The invitation is only for me. You are not going to be able to surpass that gate without a spell that transforms your identity," Red responded in a matter of fact tone.

"That's true." Snow started to call Blue, repeating her name countless times in her mind.

Blue could feel in her little being that someone needed her. When she determined that it was her dear queen, Snow White, she spread her wings and shot up into the air. After taking a few moments to identify Snow's exact location, she fluttered to her queen and asked, "How can I be of assistance, my queen?" Blue was happy to see Snow and Red, but she could feel that something about them was off. They stood far apart from each other and avoided eye contact, almost like strangers. The smiles that they used to share when they spent time with each other were nonexistent at this moment. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Nothing of your business, fairy. We need to get Snow White into the dark castle. Do you have a spell for that and, if so, can you do it?" Red asked impatiently as she could smell Emma so close, yet still so far away.

"Yes, I can do that. Here, Snow. Drink this when you're about to pass the gates of the castle. This potion will allow you to pass through the protective barrier the queen has cast around the castle. You can enter through the east corridor, as no guards will be standing watch there," Blue said as she handed the little bottle to Snow. "Good luck." She disappeared, leaving a spark of blue dust behind.

Red transformed into her wolf form and signaled for Snow to climb on her back so they could reach the castle faster. Today, Red and Snow White would finally see their daughter.

The ball was a success so far and the queen could not be any prouder of the good that she had done for Emma. Happiness surged throughout her entire body as she recalled some of the events of the night. She found it fascinating that a small, simple act of love could make a person feel so warm and giddy inside. This was a new feeling for her. She thought about her Swan, dancing with her friends and talking to Ducky. They were her family now. She finally had a family to fight for.

Without the queen noticing, a man stood right next to her and watched her every move. The mysterious man was none other than Robin Hood. He always admired the queen's beauty and reminisced about the times they had spent together. Always full of desire and pleasure, the queen was so passionate when it came to sex, and so wild. He loved that about her. Although he had lost his wife, Robin found a new source of companionship in Regina; however, Regina was a difficult woman and he tried countless times, with no success, to make her his wife. He wanted to be the man that she and her icy heart deserved. To be her second chance of changing, but something seemed to be holding her back. Maybe she never felt like he was worth it. Maybe she desired power more than a second chance at a good life, but at the same time, he could tell that she also hated her power. These were all things that Robin thought about often and couldn't quite understand.

Regina continued watching the princess, who was now dancing with her father, Henry. She could tell that they were talking about something funny because they were both laughing. As Belle pointed out to Regina before, Emma had a quality that allowed her to charm people and win them over from the instance they met. As Regina watched her swan twirl around the dance floor, she was interrupted when she felt a hand touch her waist. According to Tinker Bell, it was the hand of her soul mate, but Regina thought differently and would not let her lover be defined by pixie dust.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Robin Hood himself," Regina teased, giving him a sarcastic smile.

"Evening, my lady. Glad to see you again," he replied, and then he took Regina's hand and kissed it.

Regina could see that he was looking at her with a certain hunger in his eyes, a combination of want and longing. She couldn't help but feel aroused by this. She stepped closer to Robin, made her way up to his ear, and whispered, "Do you mind if we talk somewhere more private?"

Robin Hood inhaled sharply and smirked at the queen. This was his way of answering the queen's question. Regina knew exactly what he wanted just from the look he was giving her, and she was ready.

"We shall, follow me," Regina said, leading him directly to the library, the place where she spent most of her time trying to find a cure for Emma's curse. She had been nonstop all day and decided to take a second for herself and just enjoy the moment. Little did she know that someone noticed them and followed quietly behind.

As the couple entered the room, Robin wasted no time and pushed Regina against the wall. He kissed her passionately, moving his mouth intensely against her own. She willingly returned the kiss with an equal amount of desire, deepening it as Robin clutched her hips. He slid one of his hands against her thigh, up her side, and finally to her back, longing to remove her dress as he stroked her up and down. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and pressing her front to his. She was pinned, her body between his and the wall. As Robin continued to take her mouth again and again, Regina started to feel guilty. She realized that she desired her princess, not the thief. But she couldn't imagine taking away the princess' innocence so she put those feelings aside and kept kissing Robin Hood.

As she lowered her hands to his now semi-hard member, Robin responded with a groan. She panted lightly as his kisses started to move up her neck to her earlobe and back to her mouth, where their tongues slid against each other. He skimmed his hands down her body, pausing at her breasts. He cupped them and then continued his downward descent to the back of the queen's dress, where he toyed with the zipper until the gown slid off of the queen's silky-smooth body. Robin took a deep breath and lifted his finger, gently rubbing against the queen's panties. The queen released a deep moan and reached for the waist of Robin's pants. She freed the button, lowered the zipper, and tugged his pants to the floor.

"Someone is in a hurry," Robin chuckled as he positioned himself between the queen's legs.

"Shut up and fuck me already, thief." Regina tipped her head back and let out a loud moan as she felt Robin pick her up, spread her legs, and slam himself inside her. Moans of pleasure filled the room as they continued to kiss, their breathless bodies full of passion. Robin kept thrusting in and out of Regina's tight pussy, sending bursts of pleasure throughout her body. Regina gasped and closed her eyes, her fingers clenching into fists, as Robin increased his pace and pounded his hips against hers. Robin felt that he might explode any minute. Regina, on the other hand, was on fire. She could feel the heat building and she wanted more. More passion. More kisses. More pleasure. Not from the thief, but instead from her swan.

Regina felt herself getting closer and clutched onto Robin, gasping as he pressed against her. Robin held her, thrusting in and out with extra force. He continued to slam himself inside of her, stopping for a brief moment to let out a groan. "Oh, Regina," Robin murmured as he kissed her softly and drove his hips. The noise of slamming bodies echoed throughout the library, accompanied by loud yells of pleasure. Regina squeezed Robin tighter as she came down from the amazing climax that he granted her. Robin kept going, faster, harder until he felt himself release inside the queen. Regina could not help but moan loudly as they kissed for the last time. Finally, Robin put Regina down so he could adjust himself and catch his breath. They both reached for their clothes and started redressing.

"That was quite enjoyable, thief. You should definitely come more often," Regina said as she zipped her dress, hoping no one noticed what happened just minutes ago. All of a sudden, that guilty feeling was creeping back again. "Emma," Regina said under her breath.

"What, Regina?" Robin asked as he placed his arms around Regina's slim waist.

"Leave, thief. Leave now!" Regina shouted. She freed herself of his grip and looked at him with a heartless expression saying, "We did it again. We should have never done this. You need to leave."

"I don't understand, Regina. I thought we were getting somewhere. I want you to be my bride, Regina. Please accept me."

"NO, leave now or shall I do it my way. And believe me it won't be pretty"

Robin Hood left with a look of defeat. He walked to the door and as he said goodbye, the door closed behind him. All that was left was Regina and her guilt.

Emma could not believe it. Her queen betrayed her, betrayed her love, everything. Emma saw and heard everything. She could not stop the tears that were falling to her cheeks and she felt her soul die, turning dark. She tilted her head down and looked at her feathers, which were now all black. She felt a sense of emptiness and hatred creeping up her body, originating from her waist. She was getting weaker as she closed the door and tried to control her breathing. She cried and cried, wailing with groans of despair. A couple of minutes later, the door opened and the man that took her queen away from her walked in. She did not feel anything but anger.

"Help me, oh kind sir." Emma said breathlessly, feeling her old self disappear.

"Princess, are you okay?" Robin Hood rushed over to her and helped her stand up. "Are you alright? We should get some hel…" He could not finish his sentence as he felt a hand pass through his chest.

Emma looked at him, smiling as she ripped his heart out and watched him fall to the floor. She gazed down at Robin's weak body in front of her. "You shall never see the queen ever again," Emma said, using the last strength she had to squeeze the heart until it crumbled. An amazing feeling filled her body as she watched him completely collapse. The power, the joy it brought. Mmmm she loved it.

"Emma?" Ducky looked at Emma's smiling face, fear written all over her little face.

"Ducky, you shouldn't have seen that," Emma gasped as she tried to get closer to her baby duck. However, she couldn't because Ducky kept moving away from her.

"You killed him," Ducky said in disbelief.

"Ducky, listen. I did it for the queen … I am sorry. Please, Ducky don't go, don't leave me. You said you love me and that you will stay." Emma was desperate to feel Ducky's soft feathers close to her weak body.

"You bad. I don't love you anymore." Ducky ran as fast as her little legs allowed her.

"DUCKY!" Emma's scream could be heard throughout the castle.

Weak body.

Her feathers completely dark as charcoal.

And everything went black.


	15. Chapter 15

Leaving  
Snow and Red walked together toward the castle gates. As the destination grew closer, Snow was consumed by a sense of fear, worried about what would happen if the spell did not work. "Will I die the moment I set foot past the gate?" Snow wondered. Her heart beat quickened as she took fast, shallow breathes.  
Despite the obvious panic Snow was experiencing, Red continued running faster and following Emma's scent. Her distinctive vanilla aroma intensified as they approached the castle, motivating Red to heighten her pace further. All she could think about was finding her daughter. "Hurry, Snow!" Red demanded, getting ready to transform herself.  
"I am trying, Red," Snow replied as she tried to ignore the unsettling feeling that welled inside of her.  
"Get over here and climb on my back." With one swift motion, Red removed her cape and transformed into her wolf form. Snow grabbed a hold of Red's shaggy, auburn fur and hoisted herself onto the massive back of her former friend. Before Snow had a chance to brace herself, Red took off towards her daughter.  
Red ran and ran as the scent grew stronger; however, she couldn't help but feel that something was not quite right. A slight headache came upon her, a sensation that only occurred whenever her Emma was in distress. She continued moving until the sudden loss of Emma's scent stopped her in her tracks. Rather, a new smell filled her senses, one of pure death. It was similar to the acrid stench of burning ruble combined with the pungent odor of wilting roses. "What happened to her Emma? Where did she go? Was she wearing some sort of perfume that masked her natural scent?" Red thought to herself. She didn't know if she should follow the new scent or continue searching for the sweet vanilla aroma that she was so familiar with, her Emma. The one thing Red knew for certain was that something was definitely not right. With this thought, her hope started to fade. She wanted to believe that her Emma was perfectly fine, but the lingering smell of death in the air further damaged her optimism. She couldn't bare the idea of losing her daughter again.

Before Ducky had the chance to leave the room, a loud thump caught her attention. She turned her head slightly and looked in horror as she saw the princess she once loved unconscious on the floor.  
"Emma?" Ducky called out. No response. "Emma!" she yelled again. Still, no response came from the lifeless body which was now covered with black feathers instead of white ones. "Emma, please wake up. I didn't mean what I said, princess. Please, your highness," Ducky pleaded as a single tear slid down her cheek. She nestled herself between Emma's feathers, trying to get her to wake up. She wanted Emma to feel her, take her into her arms, kiss her, and play with her. When no response came from the princess, Ducky erupted into loud sobbing. Tears streamed down her face as her wails got louder and louder.  
Regina heard Ducky and ran to go comfort her; however, everything she was about to do went blank when she noticed Emma lying on the ground. She immediately rushed to Emma's side and held her. Emma's upper body now rested in the queen's lap, her head against the queen's chest.  
"Nooooooooooooo! Emma, please wake up! Pleaseee! No, baby noooo," Regina screamed. She couldn't hold her feelings back as she let herself cry right next to the body. She screamed for help and continued to cry.  
The soldier, August, heard the queen and ran to her rescue. When he entered the room, August noticed the motionless body of the princess collapsed in the queen's lap. "Was this woman's condition the reason the queen was crying?" the soldier thought to himself. No one had ever seen the queen cry before. She always seemed cold and apathetic, and very strong willed. Yet, this queen was broken and sad, not her typical evil self. She obviously cared deeply for this princess. August finally took a minute to really observe the princess and scooped her into his arms.  
"Oh my, sweet princess." He felt a connection with this girl. Her golden locks and piercing emerald green eyes reminded him of a girl he used to adore, his little Emma.  
"Do something, August. Please, I beg you. Do something," Regina requested, her emotions pouring out. "Take her to the ballroom and find Lily. She may be able to help her. Please," Regina said in a shaky voice, her body trembling. The soldiers did as she said. She was about to follow them when something stopped her. For the first time, she noticed Ducky crying next to the body of Robin Hood lying on the ground.  
"Ducky?" Regina asked. She was surprised to see a death Robin Hood, but did not feel hurt or sad.  
"It was your fault," Ducky said, avoiding eye contact with Regina. She couldn't stand to look at the woman who hurt her dear Emma.  
"What?" Regina kneeled to the ground and bent over closer to Ducky.  
"She killed him because of you," Ducky cried. She ran behind the soldiers that took Emma and left Regina to think about what she had done. Her sadness intensified as she thought about how the queen caused the death of her beloved.  
Everyone in the ball watched as countless fairies and witches tried to help wake Emma, but nothing seemed to work. Regina entered the ballroom and didn't care that everyone looked at her with pity as she cried. All she wanted was her Emma back, her sweet darling Emma.  
"Emma please come back to me, come home," Regina exclaimed. Her voice echoed throughout the dead-silent room. Ducky looked at the queen, her eyes still glistening with tears. She knew that it was also her fault that Emma was dead.  
Suddenly, the doors of the ballroom swung open. The gazes of everyone in the room drifted to the to the entrance, where Snow White and a giant wolf burst into the room.  
"Where is our daughter, you witch?" Snow White yelled as she slid down from Red's back. She threw Red's cape over her body, watching as the wolf transformed back into a human.  
Regina didn't respond. She looked at Red and Red already knew. Her worst fears became a reality.  
"No! Please no, Regina. Please tell me that is not true!" Red shrieked, walking closer to the limp body in August's arms. What she saw made her collapse crying. "Nooooo!" She let out the scream of a mother losing her only pup. Snow couldn't bring herself to look. Red cried and cried, but suddenly stopped. She lifted her head and looked at Regina with a new intensity in her eyes. Her normally calm demeanor was taken over by grief and anger. Her face was flushed and her hands closed into fists at her sides. She looked as if she was ready take out anyone who crossed her path.  
"We are taking her," Red said firmly, her mouth quivering as she looked at Regina.  
"No, you are not taking Emma from me. She is my heir to the throne and is here to stay" Regina responded, looking from Red to the little swan standing by her side. "She has a baby swan. She can't leave. She has me."  
"LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE HERE! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I WOULD LEAVE HER WITH YOU? NO!" Red screamed at Regina, her nostrils flaring. She had already lost her husband. She wasn't going to give up her daughter, too.  
"Please, Red. Don't take her away. I may be able to help her. Please," Regina pleaded, but Red did not budge.  
"August! Get the hell over here!" Red screamed through the crowd.  
"Red darling, I thought you where in-" August did not get to finish the sentence.  
"Take Goldie's body and come with me. We have to go" Red said, breaking her angry persona for a second and revealing her grief. She knew that August did not know the truth.  
"My Goldie?" He looked down at the body in his arms with confusion.  
"Yes, I will explain later. Take her please," Red managed to say while holding back her tears.  
"Red, please. Let her stay here," Regina said for a final time, trying to compose herself. She knew that she was too upset control her magic. It would be far too risky using it until she calmed herself down.  
"If you will excuse us, my queen, we had enough," Red replied coolly.  
Red started to walk out the door with August. As Snow followed closely behind, she looked directly at Regina and said, "I never thought I would say this about any person, but there's no good in you, Regina."  
Snow followed Red out the door and they left with a lifeless Emma in their arms. Feeling heartbroken, Regina and Ducky stared at the door, hoping this was not true, that Emma would come back running to her queen and her daughter with a smile saying "I love you."  
Regina distraught and guilty, disappeared in a cloud of smoke, bringing Ducky with her.


	16. Chapter 16

The only sensation the Queen and Ducky could feel was the emptiness of the castle. It was like a piece of themselves had gone missing, a hole in their hearts that could only be filled by the special princess. Emma's endearing giggles were replaced by a deafening silence and the graceful element which she brought to the kingdom was now nonexistent. Even the black swans were emotionless and had no motivation to swim now that their princess was gone.

The only thing that ran through Ducky's mind was a deep desire to see her mom. It was the first time she started to feel that Emma was her mother. The love that the princess offered Ducky was more than a friendship. It was beyond understanding. Motherhood.

Days had passed and Ducky watched as the Queen searched for Emma every day and night. When the Queen thought Ducky was not looking or listening, she would cry until the sun rose. Ducky knew that she should hate Regina for what she did, but she could not help but feel that even she had something to do with the death of her swan.

The Queen would wake everyday in a panic as she searched franticly for Emma, only to remember that her precious little swan was no longer in her life. All she wanted was Emma to come back. As the days and weeks continued to pass, she would cry every night to sleep holding on to the only piece that was left of Emma, Ducky. Some nights, the Queen would hide from Ducky as she slept and would vanish in a cloud of smoke to visit her Emma.

She would sit and talk to the lifeless body that was now in the possession of Red and Snow White. The swan princess lied in a glass coffin, much like the one her mother resided in when she was trapped in the sleeping curse. As more weeks passed, the appearance of the lifeless body started to change, eventually losing the resemblance of the old Emma that Regina once knew. The Emma she saw through that glass coffin was ghastly pale. Her once emerald-green eyes seemed to lack their characteristic brightness, replaced a dull silvery glow. Her hair became whiter with each passing day and her pink lips turned blood red. The only feathers remaining on her body were black as charcoal. And as the Queen saw the changes happen, she knew that Emma was finally becoming the dark one.

"My Emma," the Evil Queen muttered under her breath, "Sorry, I did not visit you last night. Your daughter is quite stubborn when it comes to eating."

Regina told Emma everything that happened throughout the day. After the incident at the ball, Regina wanted to make sure that Emma knew what was happening in her daughter's life, even though there was a possibility that she couldn't hear her.

"Well, I must go. Wish me luck with your Ducky. Please, Emma, return to me," she cried as she vanished in a cloud of smoke.

After Regina returned to her castle, she saw Ducky walking towards the garden where all the black swans dwelled. Ducky did not talk much and hardly ate these days. After what happened to her mother, she could barely think. Regina followed her and watched as Ducky sat where Emma once used to sing.

"I miss her too you know," Regina said quietly as she looked far into the lake where the dear swan used to swim.

"Not as much as I, your Majesty." Ducky looked at Regina and thought about how she was going to bring up the thoughts that clouded her mind on the nights she waited for Regina to come back to the castle.

"Indeed."

Regina kept looking at the far lake until Ducky caught her attention by speaking words that surprised her to no end. "I want to see my mom. I know that you have been visiting her and I want to come too. Perhaps you could do something for me."

"Like what?" Regina asked.

"You'll find out when you take me to see my mom," Ducky replied.

"When do you want to go?" Regina questioned curiously.

"Now, this can't wait," Ducky responded matter-of-factly.

"Alright."

Ducky could not control the happiness that welled inside of her. Perhaps she could wake her mom from the prison she was trapped in.


	17. Chapter 17

The night sky was full of stars and a brisk chill filled the air. Ducky felt content for the first time in awhile as the wind rushed through her feathers. She was waiting anxiously for Regina to come back from her bedchambers. Tonight was the first time that she would get to see her mother after the tragic day. The importance of this night and the idea of visiting her mother added to Ducky's nerves. All this time Ducky felt that it was her fault that Emma lost the last bit of hope she had. Ducky could not help but wonder what would have happened if she didn't run away that night. However, she realized that it was useless to think this way because it was too late to change what happened. All that mattered now was finding a solution before Emma's soul became completely dark. She wanted to be happy with her mother. She kept thinking as Regina emerged from the inside of her bedchambers.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?" Regina asked in a gentle tone.

"Yes, your majesty," Ducky replied as she walked closer to the Queen. Within seconds, they both disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke and reappeared in front of Emma's coffin. Ducky could not hold back her tears at the sight of her motionless mother. She was shocked by the dramatic change in Emma's appearance and could not help but cry. And she did. She cried until  
she didn't have any tears left.

"It was my fault, Regina. All my fault. I was the hope she needed and I abandoned her. That last feather that could have saved her. I turned it black!" Ducky sobbed. She tried aimlessly to enter the coffin and feel her mother's embrace, but she was too little and weak to open it.

"Ducky, it was not your fault. It was mine. I should have never betrayed her. I... I.. I love your mother." Regina could not look at Ducky as she said these words. She was ashamed of herself, of her actions. She had a hard time coming to terms with what she had done and couldn't figure out what came over her that night. She didn't feel like herself in that moment. How could she do such a thing?

"If you love her, why did you did that to her? Why betray the one you love?" Ducky asked as she looked at the Queen with certain anger.

"I was afraid to actually love her. She is certainly the daughter of my worst enemy. I was afraid to love someone as much as I loved Daniel. I know you may not understand, but my love for her is so big that I would give my life for this Princess. She is your mother, but she Is my Princess and nothing, not even a curse, could stop me from getting her back."

Both Ducky and the Queen stared at the lifeless body in the coffin. In that room, on that night, they found common ground. Both of them were willing to do everything in their power to have Emma Swan in their life once again.

Seconds, minutes, and hours passed since Ducky first laid eyes on her mother. Her desire to ask Regina a question that had bothered her for awhile grew. She remembered when her mother told her a story about Pinocchio and how he was a doll...or perhaps a puppet. Ducky could not quiet remember what he was. In the end, Pinocchio became a real boy. Her mom came to love this boy, now named August. She remembered that he was Emma's uncle. Ducky wondered what would happen if she became a real girl and if it was possible. She thought that she may be able to help her mother better this way rather than in her swan form. She could not find the strength to ask Regina in the past, but tonight she felt ready.

"Regina, I need you to do something for me and you have to promise me you will do it." Ducky looked directly into the Queen's eyes as she said this.

"And what is it that you desire?" The Queen couldn't help but turn her gaze back towards the princess in the coffin.

"I want to be come a real girl."

Regina let out a slight gasp as her attention was drawn back to the little swan. "What? A real girl? Well, certainly my magic can grant such a request, but why?" Regina questioned. Why would this precious swan want to be a girl all of a sudden?

"If I was a girl I would be more useful to you when the time comes to free my mom from the darkness."

"You had been thinking of this much before you asked me, huh?" the Queen asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, my mom needs me and so do you. The only way I can help you both is by becoming a real girl."

"So be it," the Queen responded and with a little magic she formed a cloud around Ducky.

Ducky could feel her feathers slowly disappear. One by one, her feathers floated to the ground as they were replaced by patches of skin. The swan legs that she once had transformed into little human legs with toes and nails. She watched as her tiny wings morphed into humanlike hands. Her skin was as pale as her mother's. When her fully transformed body hit the floor, Ducky let out a little smile at the Queen.

The Queen could not believe her eyes. This girl looked exactly like Emma, with the exception of Emma's piercing emerald eyes and golden locks. Rather, Ducky's hair was dark and long, similar to Regina's when she was younger. She also had Regina's eyes. It was like looking at a younger version of herself, just paler and with bigger eyes. The little girl continued smiling at the Queen. Regina could not help but cry and hug Ducky hard, spinning her around in her arms.

"My baby," the Queen said joyfully as the girl giggled in the Queen's arms. Regina kissed her entire face and hugged her to her chest. "Now you are a real girl, Ducky."

"I am a real girl! Can you open the coffin, Regina? Pretty please?" the girl begged as she looked at Regina with those puppy dog eyes. The Queen, enchanted with the beauty of this girl, opened the coffin.

"Hello, mommy! I guess you don't recognize me, but I am your baby. I am your daughter and I miss you. Please come back to me," Ducky pleaded with tears running down her face as she kissed her mother's forehead. "I love you." Ducky cleaned her face and let Regina go talk to the princess.

"Hey, princess. Your daughter is as beautiful as you. I wish you could see her. Please come back to us. Please." The Queen lowered her face to the princess' lips, close enough to touch her lips. She whispered "I love you" and kissed the princess' blood red lips.


	18. Chapter 18

As the queen kissed the princess she felt as though something happened, she felt a force that she couldn't explain as she opened her eyes she hoped to see Emma's do the same. Hoped that her princess would have her feathers return to the white they once were and not remain black. That was a dream. As regina looked down at her precious Swan nothing changed. She looked at Ducky who had a hopeful look in her eyes but as her eyes met Regina's she knew the kiss hadn't had the desired effect. Regina took Ducky's hand and the two disappeared in a cloud of smoke, Regina whispering  
"I am not her true love" as they left, disappointment etched on her face.

The tower was pitch black, it was night, though it would soon be over and the sun would begin its ascent. The white skin of the woman lying in the coffin was so pale it almost had a reflection, yet as the sun made its first peak a hint of pink began to return to skin as white as snow. Emerald eyes opened slowly and glanced around, blinking multiple times to adjust to the little light that the moon still gave as it began to leave the sky for the day to arrive. The coffin was opened abruptly allowing Emma to stand and get out. She walked to the mirror in the far end of the room in the tower. She didn't recognize herself. Her feathers were all black as night, her hair down and more white than blonde, she was pale with dark makeup surrounding her eyes and her lips were as red as blood.  
"Where am I?" She jumps slightly at a whistling sound and quickly turns around screaming "who is there?"  
"Hello Dearie" Rumple says appearing in the corner of room.  
"What the hell are you doing here?" Emma looks at him confused.  
"Well, are you ready to begin"  
"Begin what?" Emma says walking towards the door.  
"Well learning to be the Dark One of course, think of me as your guide, but only until you embrace your powers."  
"I will never embrace the darkness," she snarled, "I have to find Regina and Ducky."  
"They all say that, everyone who steps out of this well enjoys the taste too much dearie," the imp giggled, "the only way to stop is to be stopped, this is the fate of all Dark Ones" Emma scoffs and continues her journey to the door "you can't just walk away from it, this is who you are," Rumple says in a sing song tone.  
"NO I WILL NEVER BE LIKE ALL OF YOU, I WILL NEVER HURT THE PEOPLE I LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE ME!" Emma spins around screaming at Rumple. He grins at her and her fists clench at her sides as she exits the room, trying to shake the anger.  
Once out of the room she tries to calm herself to escape the feelings of the darkness, the anger, the hate, the sadness. She needs to find a way to become her old self, and she can only come up with one solution. She needed to find Ducky. She ran through the castle holding her dress so it wouldn't be a bother while she ran. She saw different doors and hallways and she couldn't find her way out of the maze as she keep running she was stopped by two guards watching the hallway of leading to Queen Snow White and her precious Prince Charming.  
A girl with flaming red hair and a bow suddenly starts shooting arrows at her while another one with long dark hair, asian features, and heavy armor holds up a sword, the blade at level with Emma's throat. Suddenly Rumple's voice rings through her ears.  
"Now is the time, you want to get out. There's only one way," a pause before she clearly hears "Kill them"  
"I am not killing them" Emma says aloud.  
The red head, who can't be much older than Emma suddenly spoke, "you got that right," and she released her bow, an arrow flying straight towards the Dark Swan. Another followed. Catching each of the arrows easily Emma starts to get tired and her anger returns as does Rumple's voice.  
"Come on use your anger, your power" she throw the arrows in the floor. As another one comes towards her Emma screams "STOP!"  
Her powers surface and pull the red haired girl close to her, her hand suddenly has a mind of its own and the heart is in her hand. She looks at it with a devilish grin. "Crush it" Rumple says and with a smirk she does just that.  
"YOU KILLED HER" the asian guard runs up to Emma her sword raised and ready to go for attack. With a flick of her wrist Emma watches as she flies through the air and lands a distance from her. "Get out of my way" Emma walks away and goes back to her search for an exit to find her daughter.  
"So did you like it" Rumple said looking at her from afar.  
"To Much" Emma states as she walks along side Rumple listening to his plans to destroy the Queen. And for some reason Emma was ready to cause The Evil Queen the pain she caused her and her daughter.  
"Are you ready for your training, Dearie" Rumple says jumping around with a happy smile.  
"There's no savior in this forest anymore. Now for all they did to me they will be punished," Emma says.  
"That you will do, but first lets start with embracing the darkness."  
"Can we start by killing the ones that killed my father?" Emma said  
"No dearie you will do it all in due time."  
"I'm tired of waiting" Emma chuckles darkly disappearing in a cloud of smoke leaving a smiling rumple behind.  
"I guess she won't need training after all"


	19. Chapter 19

The truest love she ever felt was not her true love. She thought that true love was what she felt for Emma. That special connection that pulls them both back to each other, that makes you believe that everything would be okay at the end of the day.

But that was not what happened in this story, Emma was now the Dark Swan. Regina knew that she had to do the IMPOSIBLE to protect Ducky. Now it was her job to protect the only thing that reminded her of her beautiful swan.

Ducky looked at The queen thinking in silence as she tried to find a way to make it all better but she did not know. She knew things her mother once told her but she promise not to tell ever. "Maybe those secrets can help me safe Mommy with the help of Regina! But how" Ducky thought to herself. Both of the royals, a Princess and a Queen kept quiet and kept thinking about the person that they love the most. The Dark Swan.  
-

The Dark Swan walk along side her lake. She watched the moon with a big smile in her face feeling the darkness inside of her and finally being able to use it as a weapon; as a way to live and make her feel powerful and amazing. Her skin white as snow and glitters every time she used her magic. She sure enjoy the magical feeling.  
"My black swans your ruler has returned" she proclaims coming to a stop at the edge of the lake.

All the black swans in the lake bow down to the princess looked at her with fear in their eyes.  
"My servants," the Dark One said as she glances over all the swans "You now fear your ruler. " She look at them with a fake sad look on her face and then started to laugh, "Pathetic, oh dear. Let us begin, all of you work for me. I am your ruler and you, my dears, are my pets, my servants. Go along and bring me what I desire." Emma said with anger in her eyes and voice.

"What is it that you desire my queen?" one of the swans with fear clearly reflected in his feathers and eyes.  
"Snow White's head on a spike" Emma's sinister smile was not something that they were used to. They felt scared; this was not the queen they knew.  
"Where is my daughter? I shall take her with me?" Emma asked. The swans bow their heads and told the Dark One, "Your daughter is with Queen Regina your majesty." Emma's fury could be felt all through out the lake. She was breathing fast at the reminder of what the queen did to her.  
The swans felt more scared as minute went on when suddenly their queen desapears in a cloud of smoke.

-  
In the dark regina looked around her bedchamber, Ducky was fast asleep right next to her. With all that is happening to and with her mother, she wished to be with Regina to at least feel some how close to Emma. Regina lost in thought look out the window and suddenly felt a presence.

"Who is there?" Regina asked with her signature sarcastic smirk. There was no answer but there was hit of magic that sent Regina crashing to the nearest wall, holding her there. Regina could not get down and as much as she tried, her magic was of no use.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Regina screamed with all her being. Regina right then felt a pressure on her neck, as if someone was trying to strangle her. She couldn't breathe and when trying to call for help no one came as it was late at night and everyone in the castle was sleeping.

Panic was taking over her body as she remember Ducky was still sleeping peacefully on her bed. She was scared that who ever was doing this to her would hurt Ducky. She tried to fight but couldn't and she eventually stopped struggling. Right at the moment she stopped, the magic let Regina go and fell to the floor gasping for air.

"I liked you better when you weren't breathing." The mysterious person said.

Regina instantly knew that voice. She has dreamt about that sweet voice but now it only sends shivers of terror down her spine.

"Emma"


	20. Chapter 20

"Emma" Regina said getting up and could not believe her eyes. She is awake. She is alive. She is the dark one.

"Emma is dead My queen" Emma said walking around the fallen queen. "It's the dark one now, My Queen" she looked at regina with pure hate.

Regina, still on the floor looking at the princess she once called hers, the princess she adored, the princess she loved. She was alive.. but what did she want? What was she doing here? Regina only could think of her daughter.. their daughter, their ducky. She tried not to look to where the bed is not giving in, not giving Emma the chance to hurt the only thing that Regina had from the princess she once adored.

"The queen kneels for me? What a pleasant sight" Emma's wicked smile made regina shiver.

"I will never kneel to you" Regina stood up with a defiant look. Emma smirked and bit eyed her. "You seem to be doing just that" She said laughter obvious in her voice, and that made Regina's blood boil. "Don't test me Miss Swan. What is it that you want" Regina said bitterly, before starting to get it, looking up and seeing that look of pain and sadness on The Dark ones face. "So now it's Miss Swan" she said with undeniable hurt in her voice. Regina could tell she tried to cover it up, but it wasn't working. She knew her Emma was still in there. She walked forward close to the Dark one and cupped her face rubbed her cheek, despite the way the other woman flinched at her touch. "I know you are in there Emma. I can see you. Come back to me" She whispered. That made the dark one furious. She pushed Regina away making her fall back to the ground, and she shook her head. "This is me now" she said and growled.

"I come for my so called daughter I assume you have her in your possession." Regina looked at ducky in the bed. She feared that by doing this she would make Emma look and see Ducky but Emma looked at her waiting for answer.

"I ask you a simple question. Where is my daughter Queen" Emma said as regina looked down at floor not responding. Emma kneels down in front of the queen with a devilish smirk saying "you're pathetic" she laughs so hard at Regina. The former evil queen kneeling infront of her at her mercy. "

Now my daughter" Emma was getting a little angrier "my daughter NOW " Emma screaming was heard and the earth shakes Emma's anger, and her magic controls everything. "MY DAUGHTER WHERE IS SHE"

"Mommy?" ducky wakes up rubbing her eyes as she could not believe her eyes her mom much different of course but it was her.

"My darling come to mama" ducky had heard this before and smiled knowingly. She got out of the bed and walked to Emma looking at regina in the floor with handcuffs restraining any movement.

"DUCKY NO PLEASE DON'T GO WITH HER" Ducky looked at Regina and then at Emma. As she did so Ducky showed emma her hand, and Emma put one of her fingers in duckies hand. Regina swore that before they both disappeared in that cloud of black smoke. She saw the white swan smiling at her daughter.


	21. Chapter 21

Emma appeared with Ducky in her arms she was holding her finger. "Ducky! My baby, is it really you?" Emma touched her hair and her little face. "You look so much like Regina.. You have her hair and my eyes." Ducky, holding her moms finger in her tiny hand, smiles letting her mom see her as a little girl and not a duck. "Mommy I have missed you so much. I knew you would keep your promise" Emma could only smile at her daughter. "I told you I would come back for you". Smiling Ducky could not contain how happy she felt and told her mom everything She and Regina did in her absence. It wasn't something that brought joy to either of them but Ducky needed to let Emma know Regina loves her, even though she blames her everyday for what has happened to Emma.

Emma listened carefully to her daughter looking at her closely. She really was a copy of Regina and she certainly is beautiful. "Ducky do you remember the promise we made that lonely night?" Ducky looked at her mom wondering if it was the promise that only she knows.

-  
Flashback

One bright night Emma was sitting with ducky looking at the stars. Emma tried to distract herself from the fact that her feathers were darkening from the Queen's absence. Regina and Ducky are her hope. She needs them both. Tonight she is holding Ducky tightly making sure her new friend knows how much she really means to her. Emma sang to Ducky and the little Black Swan was so happy to listen to her mothers voice. Then a sudden stop makes Ducky look up at the Princess.

"Ducky, I need you to do something for me" Emma said really serious looking at the stars and not ducky.

"Yes your Majesty, Whatever you desire" Ducky said feeling nervous because she was so serious it and it made her feel like she was mad at her.

Emma moves one of her hands and shows Ducky a really white bright ball of light . Ducky looks at it happily, it was so pretty and she wanted to play with it. As soon as Ducky tried to reach for the ball Emma moved it away from her.

"Ducky, this is not a ball to play with, this is me." Emma could tell Ducky was confused so she tried to explain in a better way so her baby girl would understand. "This is me, this is my soul, you will this carry with you. You must not tell anyone." Emma said as she put the ball close to Ducky so she could feel it.

"I will protect it with my life Princess" Emma smiled as she put the ball right where Ducky's heart is. As soon that was inside of Ducky she felt peace within. Ducky hugged her princess tightly as Emma spoke "Now you must remember, the day that sleep takes over my body, my soul would return with a touch so pure."

"I don't understand Princess" ducky look sad at Emma "you will sleep forever are you gonna sleep and leave me alone like the other swans did?"

"Never, with your touch i will always return to you" Emma said smiling

End of flashback

"Yes Mommy, I remember" , Ducky said looking straight at Emma. "But I do not understand, why can't we tell regina?" Emma angrily took her hand out of her daughters grasp and once again the dark swan appeared looking at ducky with nothing but emptiness.

"Regina must pay for what she has done, you my Dear will help me destroy the Evil Queen, for I shall rule the land. I will kill Snow White and her army, I will join forces with the Dark one and we will destroy everything in our path. We will be the most powerful Dark Ones in all the land." The Dark One said angrily as Ducky, not afraid of this evil, took her hand and then saw her White Swan.

"Is that really what you want mommy? To destroy the love of your life?" Ducky said still holding Emma's finger.

"I have no other choice she has to die" Ducky looked down cause she knew her Mom was about to do something she will regret, but all she wanted was to be there for her so with a small whisper she said.

"So be it, Mommy"


End file.
